


The quiet type

by Theemogeneration



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Abuse, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Billy is an ass, Character Death, Child Death, Childhood Trauma, Crying, Drug Abuse, F/M, Implied Childhood Sexual Abuse, One-Sided Attraction, Original Character Death(s), Physical Abuse, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Suicide, Visions, but still, has an ass, my oc isa bit fucked up, oc is a bit cold and fucked up
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-09
Updated: 2019-05-23
Packaged: 2019-09-14 18:34:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 6
Words: 47,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16918140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Theemogeneration/pseuds/Theemogeneration
Summary: Billy liked that she was known as Mad-Killer Littleton, it was nice that the rumors weren't all about him, he liked how she was the only way to get weed, and Hargrove loved that she was quiet.He, also, hated how she was known as Mad-Killer Littleton, it was horrible how cruel people could  be, he hated that she was selling the only thing that eased her pain, and Billy hated that  Donna didn't talk to him.Maddy has had it tough, she can take Billy's mood swings like butterfly kisses, she actually laughs at him when he tries to threaten her. Only one thing scares her, and billy is far more a comfort than any threat he could try and beI suck at these and i have been editing along the way...please comment and point out spelling errors





	1. Chapter one: Light it up

Maddy stepped onto her lawn shakily breathing as she saw her father's figure standing in the doorway, with a cigarette and beer, it was the weekend, she didn't have a shift at the arcade and she had thought he'd be at work. Dona was wrong though, there he was, and it was too late to turn around.

He eyed her hazily and jutted his chin out to across the street, his blond scruffy edged about his chapped lips which were yellowed about the edges, unlike his red glazed over eyes which pale surrounding skin, made him look like a corpse.

"Looks like, We. Got. Neighbors." His words were paused and last S was extended as Mad looked over her shoulder to the moving trucks that had arrived, maybe this was a good thing. "Seems like it..I brought home some food..and beers, want me to put them inside." His glassy blue eyes went over her and he shook his head oh so slowly, Maddy knew what was going to happen, that was her one warning.

"Not yet sugar, come stand by your pops, gotta go to work in a few hours, want to say hi to you." Her breath shifted and looking away from the new family, one that looked happy, and towards her father, Maddie nodded her head and stepped next to him.

The bags felt heavier as she stood with back straightened and lips thinned.

She wouldn't scream, she wouldn't give him that..

His cigarette pulled from his lips, and arm rested about her shoulder as the two looked across the road to see a ginger mother, her daughter of the same locks, stepping out of their moving van happening to glance over at the family. Her father raised his hand and waved over happily to the two.

She remembered being that young, and happy, they had all been happy. That had been far to long ago though, more like a dream then anything now. Maddy hated that she saw her mother and brother in the strangers place.

"Welcome to Hawkins Neighbor!" He said with an almost sober voice as Mad managed to force back her worrying whimper and return the woman's warm greeting. Soon enough, they disappeared as did the cherry end of her father's smoke, into Dona's covered clavicle burning through the clothing and soon enough her skin.

For the woman it was just another day, despite how her weakened body let tears fall, Maddie was used to this, and far worse. The girl did not let out a whimper, cry out, or make any sound at all, always the quiet type, she just stood and waited for him to pull away.

He did and led her inside..it was just another day, her living room wall behind the couch had forty three sunflowers on it, she counted it three times just to be sure.

On monday, Dona slipped out her second story window after she changed the bandage on her burn, with book bag over her unwounded shoulder as she dropped down on to the secondary roof and used the lower platform to get her feet on to the ground. Her father hadn't yet left for work yet, so going out the front door or going to get coffee had been out of the question.

He was horrible during the mornings, but at night he was worse, she wished he wouldn't drink, or drink more, at least do something different to change.

Despite the exhaustion seeping through her bones, the chill of october did bristle some sort of awareness into her. It also awakened some stiffness in her left arm, which throbbed hatefully. Arthritis later on in life would kick Donna's ass more then the wound in her arm did now, hell it might even cripple her. 

Last year with the Demogorgon and Eleven, she had gotten attacked, after shoving Nancy out of the way of the previously mentioned mystery, the ever throbbing pain as well as medicinal weed, was her reward.

She hated that creature, and nightmares, wouldn't even cover how much that thing frightened he.

The grey eyed girl was almost thankful for it, because her father hadn't... at least he hadn't as much because of its hideousness, and if anything, that in itself, was one hell of a win for Donny. Though that small victory came at the price of more beatings when she did by chance run into him.

Mad's darkened thoughts were eased as she inhaled the nicotine and saw Jonathan's car parked on the corner of her street. The brown banged boy waiting happily for the girl, he did this ever since he could drive, did it every fall, and winter, because he hated to see her cold, he was sweet that way, and in so many other ways too.

For a moment Madonna's face lit up as he saw her and honked. Thank Gaston, she really hadn't wanted to walk all the way to school, some times he hadn't been able to wait because he woke up late, and she understood that. 

She hoped her own transportation was still in tack as she marched on towards the Byers. Mad always left it at the school only using it to go to work and the store, because her dear old pops would flip a bitch if he saw her have it.

God knows her bicycle hadn't broke on its own accord, and that, compared to her little gem, was a hell of a lot easier to replace.

The Harley used to belong to Benny, somehow the man had thought to write that up in his will that it was going to be hers. He had done that even before knowing about her situation, the girl couldn't imagine what he'd try to give her if he had known. 

a home.

Maddie's smile fell at that remembrance that he never did find out, that he was gone, but taking in a heated breath of the cigarette made that small pains edge dull, into something that was easier to forget.

Last year they had to lie about a lot of stuff, Benny's, Barb's and El's deaths were the things she hadn't quite settled on accepting. Like her favorite book that hadn't quite ended the way she wanted it to, Maddie always thought about what could have ended differently, what could have been changed, but never would be.

She had thought alot about what could have been different long before the incidents of last year.

Will scooted over for the pale freckled teen to get in, he was paler himself and looked tired, Jonathan looked a bit worried about his sibling as he sat in the driver's seat. Dona knew better than to pry to deeply about it, not in front of Will at the least, people had been babying him ever since the upside down.

She knew better than to be one of those people Will needed things to be normal, as normal as they could be considering everything.

"Thanks for stopping, it's freezing worse than an ice spike to the ass.." Jonathan shot her a look and with blushing cheeks she shot a look to the younger byers and shrugged. "...sorry what i meant is that it's colder than a warlocks ballsack on the snowy mountains."

The young boy giggled and Jonathan hid away a blushing smirk, his brown, safe, gaze going over her in some amusement, and in some worry. Due to his worry, she almost checked her hidden burn mark to see if it had slipped through, but over course that was just Jonathan.

"It was no problem at all Donny, how's the arm?" Her brow raised and Maddy rolled down the window to flick out the half smoked smoke, so that Will wouldn't have to be worried about it, more like she would have to worry about it affecting Will, but tomato tomatoe. 

"It's been better, the cold weather sucks ass....how's everything with you two? Excited for halloween?" Will sent her a sheepish grin and nodded his head excitedly.

"Yeah, we're going as the ghost busters, are you going to be coming with us?" Her brow raised and the girl sucked in her lower lip pretending to be contemplating it, before she broke into a smile.

"Of course i am....wonder who i should go as though.... any thoughts byer's boys"There was a smirk on Jonathan's face, she almost always went as the same thing, they all knew that. 

"You're going as Spock, or Columbia, maybe you'll take a shot at being Janine to go with the group....i know you..." The smile almost faltered as Dona shot a glare at her friend pouting her petal pink lips.

This was her being childish, it was something that Maddy was allowed to have every once and awhile.

"Spoil sport, maybe i'll just go as Joan Jett, I already look like her, and hell i bet she'd hang out with the busters " Will made a face at the suggestion and the girl stuck out her tongue before popping a piece of gum to cover up her smokers breath.

"Come on, we can at least attempt to tie the other two in to our costumes- you can't do that to us Mad! Jonathan apologize for ruining her joke...thing, whatever." Smugly smirking the black hair teen stuck out her tongue to the older boy challengingly.

"Yeah Johnny, apologize." He huffed glaring at her as he pouted, lips softly curling up into a mischievous smirk as his hair fell into his gaze. Maddy's fingers itched to comb it back, just to see his eyes, feel his hair's softness...shit, she needed to quit doing this.

"Fine, i'm sorry..." Dona squinted her silver gaze knowing that it was going somewhere else, even before continued his sentence, she knew. "...that you have no creativity." Her lips shaped into an offended 'o' and the girl suddenly launched at him, over the small kid, who let out a squeal as his brother was attacked with tickles from the leathered up girl.

"Maddy- stop, oh my god" He cackled out face turning red as he shakily tried to drive, small odd spasms left him as he closed up his armpits and her foot kicked out the passenger window as she stretched to attack his covered stomach.

"Apologize or die traitor." Jonathan looked like he couldn't breathe and had joyful tears moving down his face as the center console stabbed into the raven haired teens stomach.

She thought he looked beautiful right now, happy like he was meant to.

Her wounded arm was doing the attacks while her other one rested in between both boys, so that her body weight wasn't fully on the small boy, her brother's metal Thief dungeon and dragons game piece hanging out of her shirt cleavage swung wildly as she lunged at him. 

"Okay okay, i give up, i'm sorry." Madonna let her hand fall and turned over, so the back of her head rested on his lap and the byers boy could see her victorious gloating smirk. This was happiness.

They were close, even before last year, though last year had seemingly let them both get closer...and in a way it let them drift apart. 

There used to be a tension between them that would have made her being sprawled out on his lap uncomfortable and blush worthy, but since last year or more so since Nancy came into the picture, they didn't have that anymore and instead they were like siblings.

Dona was...okay with it. 

They were friends, any more than that probably wouldn't work anyhow. Last year they had more in common, she knew how he had felt, though no one was saying that Byer's had killed him, no one but Carol, and she didn't count. They had gotten so close that she almost told him, everything, but didn't and she almost didn't regret it.

But Maddy didn't tell him, there was no chance now that they could ever be anything more than friends, but if he did find out, he'd see her as weak, pathetic, a sad little thing that needed protecting. Maddy didn't need help.

Will sat between her tilted thigh and foot which was on the passenger seat, using her knee and his pencils to drum along to the Clash as the girl blew her bubble and glared up at the Byers boy. "Can't believe you called me uncreative, you never even dress up anymore for the holidays, yah dink." Maddie stated rolling her eyes as the car came to a stop.

She didn't want to be home, but that didn't mean she wanted to be here either, Dona loved the classes don't get her wrong it was just the student's she couldn't stand. He gave her an almost apologetic smile as she straightened out her leg letting the younger byers climb out. 

"Well that's true, but that's because i, if you haven't noticed, have grown up, geeky girl you want to stay out for a smoke break, before entering out last year of hell?" Her glare lessoned and Dona nodded, before sitting up and sliding out of his car. 

She knew the only reason he was okay with freezing out here with her, was because he wanted to chat with Nancy as soon as she came in, but she'd pretend like he was being a good friend to her.

Mad tugged her jeans down with her feet as she spat out her gum and patted herself down for her light. The zippo, was found in her back pocket and she smiled at its smooth black surface as she pulled out the cigarette from behind her ear. Maddy loved this lighter, she had found it in the side pocket of the bikes leather seat...even if it broke she knew she'd never get rid of it.

Hell she'd spend a shit ton of money to fix it.

Donny's bike was a few spots away and the ebony haired girl eyed Jonathan to see if he would mind her ditching him to check on it. He wouldn't at the moment, he was absentmindedly brushed back his hair as his eyes scanned the crowd for Wheeler, she didn't think he'd notice a naked woman sprinting past him. Unless of course that nudist was Nancy.

Opting to ignore that amusing thought, the woman took in a lungful of her minty smoke and propping herself on the short concrete wall, the bike was how she left it so she could relax for a bit, just a bit, for just a moment.

Closing her eyes, Maddy did just that, enjoying the light breeze, her smoke and the near silence of the morning, though that silence, made the mutterings, and finally the incoming car radio blaring rock you like a hurricane all the more noticeable, and irritable.

She felt Jonathan take a seat next to her and beamed at him as he pouted his lips in small annoyance as she peaked through her long lashes. "Don't worry sugar, they'll show." That word made him bristle slightly and Dona let her smirk fall as she let a cloud of grey leave her, Maddy hadn't meant to hurt him.

She pondered on this, refusing to look away from her friend and towards the blaring music, despite the itch of curiosity she got from its sound. "I'm not worrying-""Okay, you're not worrying, or crushing on anyone i get that-""Byers, Littleton, you two finally make it? Thought you two were skipping" 

Dona's voice died down as she saw Harrington and Nancy appeared suddenly, the girls hair was somewhat frizzed and Maddy wondered which janitors closet they used to attempt to procreate in now, and how the hell Harrington's hair was still full with volume...weird superpower.

Her and John had made it to school, and those two had made out in it...

The girl's wondering eyes moved past them to a double denimed man, with a frizzed up mullet, and bright blue eyes. His jewel's went over the crowd bordly as he flicked away his cigarette and started to move across the lot.

Her own silver gaze, quickly went to a car, and though she noted a little ginger running off from its passenger side, Maddy managed to quirk up her lips in appreciation for the blue camaro. Well they did before Steve waved a orange flyer infront of her causing the girl to pinch up her face in annoyance.

"The fuck?!" Dona asked harshly in a low growl, snatching away the paper and shoot a glare at the rich boy, before blowing smoke in his face. In reaction, a fit of coughs left him and the girl managed not to completely lose her shit on him though a rich husky chuckle did escape her as he nearly died.

"God.. damn Donny...sorry for interrupting your drool fest on the newbie-" The pale teen rolled her eyes at her distant friend and cut him off with a scoff. "-His car, Drooling in appreciation for his car, couldn't shit twice about the boy, the wheels are nice...unlike yours."

Nancy managed a light squeaked out giggle at Maddy's words, though it seemed to die off slowly as she burnt the cheery of her cigarette on the orange flyer. It reminded her of her father's actions, but that reminding thought, just made Dona press it harder against the paper in anger causing it to move through.

"Hey! stop it that's your invite!" Harrington ripped away the paper with sudden urgency and stomped away the smoldering page. Dona shrugged her shoulders uncaringly and rolled her eyes, before glancing over towards the car only to see the mystery kid shooting her a smirk as he leaned against the beauty's hood.

The girls brow raised coldly and she looked away before getting to see his wink, guys were weird. "What's the invite for-""The Halloween party, come on and get sheet-faced." Steven stated almost like he was selling it to her, Mad's shock couldn't be hidden and a cringe made its way to her surface cracking lines in her freckled features. 

"Seriously that's the best you could come up with." Jonathan next to her scratched his neck knowing the invite would include him too, neither of them liked parties.

"Well, i...um...i didn't come up with it to, i'm just inviting you two-""And you two are going, don't dress like spock, i don't want to sick steve on some pervert kids, again." A groan left the teen and she shook her head, hating the idea already, fuck. Halloween was the one day she had off.

"Me and Johnny have plans-" Nancy's brow raised and a half hearted smile appeared on her face, she was..jealous? It almost seemed that way but Maddie pushed the thought away and tugged at her flannels hem

"-with the kids, you know trick or treating, dressing up, they can't do that stuff alone!" Her brow fell and smile became real causing Dona to almost forget the fact that before last year the two had barely talked to one another. 

"You know you two will be done by eight, the kids have a bedtime, you two don't" Maddy rolled her eyes at the truth in that statement, why did Nancy even want her their. 

"we don't like parties...and anyhow, me and Johnny haven't had our horror binge yet-" We'll think about it." Byers station interrupting the leathered up girl and taking the slightly burned up invite from the couple.

God just because Byer's wanted to bone her, did that mean she had to get dragged into this hell too?

"You're both going." Nancy ordered sternly and Steven beamed optimistically at the two outcast, before slinking his arm over the brunette and heading off to the school to catch up on their lost lip sucking action.

"See, this is why i don't think we should hang out anymore-""Come on you don't mean that." Dona snorted at him half kidding because she really couldn't lose him, but parties really weren't her thing, yes weed wise, she could get a lot of business, but it was always the same thing.

Maddie was bored with the party scene and would rather enjoy her youth bundled up with a friend, but he didn't seem to want to do that...growing up my ass.

And Yes, Madonna selling her medicinal weed was illegal and wrong, but working till eleven at the diner almost everyday, didn't pay the rent. Which is what Dona had to do most of the time, because despite her alcoholic father's belief, his sporadic payments of varying amounts, were not the reason they had a house to live in.

The bell rang and the two headed in, her combat boots, which were mostly taped together, hitting the tile quietly as the whispering had already began, seriously they had like three minutes to get to class and all they could talk about was- Wait! Who the fuck was that?

Leaning against her locker with his denimed jacketed arms, was the new kid, his mulleted blond head was pressed against the metal and blue eyes stared down at out a piece of paper in heavy concentration. 

He was writing something as Tommy stood next to him seemingly finding someone to play lap dog for and rambling like the bitch in heat that he was.

"yeah, she's the only one you can score from in this town unless you-" Maddy rolled her eyes and trudged past them stretching out her fingers in annoyance just as Billy looked up, great another person for her to sell to. She didn't need to get in to the locker till next period, nor did she care to see them gawking at her like everyone else. 

God, she really hated high school.

"See there the weed queen is, maybe if you get in her pants she'll give you a free sample, but be warned dude-" the woman didn't pause in step and instead slid into the crowd of students and headed off to her class not caring enough to hear the end of the dickwads sentence.

She really hated tommy, he was a dick when he was a kid, and he was a dick now. Even before she had gotten her infamous false past, he was an asshole, probably hadn't thought to change, because he only got to stick it in carol, and that woman hated him just as much as he hated her.

Tiredly, ignoring the possible reasons why Tommy h was the walking equivalent to a douche that ran through her head, the girl set out her note books and winced slightly as the throbbing began. 

Just like clockwork first period, she wanted to go into the great sleep because of it. Her mind was hazed with pain and tiredness though,as always, Donny forced herself to continue writing the notes and not pass out. Just another day in paradise, like with most everything else she was used to it.

Next to her, Maddy heard Carol and her friends muttering, somehow her pained mental state needed something to focus on and it had decided that gossip was the easiest thing to take in.

"I heard he killed someone in Cali, and that's why his family had to move here...." Dona almost smirked at the far fetched rumor, until Tina added onto it smugly.

"Well i bet him and Mad littleton will get on quiet well then...then again, I don't know, despite how hot he is, if i'd want to ride him after he hung out with the loon, might catch some crazy from her...guess i'll have to jump him early." Their giggling stung her ears and the woman hid her anger by pressing her pencil harder into the paper causing the tip to flatten out, though she really wanted to flatten out tina's chest or scoop out Carol's eyes, see how the bitches would laugh then.

yeah because assaulting her classmates would help her with the rumors.

Maddy was the first out of class, having gotten up faster than a bullet when the bell rang, she couldn't believe they could joke about that, then again when Barb went 'missing' they had joked that it was another one of Littleton's victims.

Adding on to that thought, Dona actually could believe them, they had been even worse when Benny 'killed himself' they said he did it because she had the devil in his ear.

She hadn't killed anyone...not on purpose...not at all actually, despite what her guilt said, but still it stung to hear them joke about it.

Donny's heart clenched slightly and ignoring the hateful feeling in her stomach at the memories, she opened up her locker, only for the newbie's note fall from it and on to the tile in between her feet. She wasn't feeling good already and right now, didn't care how tight his jeans hugged his ass, this was not how Maddy did business.

It had to be done face to face for everyone, it was a precaution.

So, with this thought in mind, Donny picked it up and stuffed her books into her locker, before shutting it firmly and leaning against the door, with back against the metal, and eyes pointed outward she saw the denimed devil before her. It was just Mad's luck, that the blue eyed boy was putting his newly required text book in, uncaringly if Dona had to say, a locker that was adjacent from her own.

At least he'd get the message upfront the girl thought as he turned to head off to the next class, and his gaze caught her and she held up his note, between her forefinger and thumb, raising a brow at him questioningly

The unnamed newbie only smirked, when he didn't move to speak to her, Dona didn't hesitate and pulled out her zippo from her flannel's pocket to uncaringly burn the folded up paper. She stared at him all the while with an unchanging expression as the flames licked their way towards her pale finger.

His brows simply raised, though the smile stayed, as she dropped it ever so slowly, as it was just about to touch her and strolled away, with head held high, past him to her next class. 

All the way there she felt the boy staring after, her with an amused, almost impressed, smile. Donny would have been okay with not seeing him at all after that, but it was just her luck though as always, he was in her next class, and took a seat right next to her.

"Hello there, Pyro princess." Hargrove sang teasingly with his white tooth smile. With pressed together lips, the woman opened up her newest notebook and began to write her class title, ignoring how he slightly clenched his jaw and moved his icey eyes over her as he leaned closer. She tensed at his closeness, just for a moment before sucking out a breath of air.

Billy noticed firstly how odd her outfit, was compared to the other students here. Dona wore a well worn leather jacket, with an attached hoodie, a red flannel underneath it, and pink floyd top. Most of the teens in Hawkins wore new clothes, revealing tops and cardigans, the weed queen seemed to have a wardrobe all her own. 

Her faded jeans, had safety pins at the knees and loose hems at the end of their legs, her boots were the same, with well worn down laces and duct tape on the heels and toes keeping it together.

He wondered why she was dressed with so many layers while the fall had just begun, and if these pants had been used to this disrepair or if she did it to look badass, he doubted the latter, but it was always a possibility.

The second thing he noted after her breast size, hand me down clothes, and hidden curves, was how, unlike any of the girls, Billy had seen so far, Maddy was bare of any makeup and had seemingly barely ran a comb through her long frizzy locks. 

The new kid's observing gaze saw her freckled skin was pale but had some soft color to it just as her lips did barely tinted pink. He thought that despite her coverage and the lack of makeup, she still was pretty, even if the weed queen still hadn't bothered to glance up at him.

Billy was going to get her to look at him again, he had been to busy waiting for the flames to burn her and seeing them burn in her eyes instead to get a proper look at her features before, he really wanted to see the girl smile and swoon like all the others. 

And to do this Billy apparently, ignoring the fact that she was taking notes and the class was silent, decided the best way to get her attention was if he poked her with the eraser of his pencil over, and over, and over again hoping She'd look up. 

Madonna was reminded of middle school at his childish antics. "Pss....Weed Queen-" A scoff and slight smile was all he got from the nickname, though Maddie continued on with her notes and didn't bother to answer him or pause in her writing.

Well, not until Billy tired of poking her, being ignored, and instead opted to flip the paper she was writing over to annoy Maddy, before stabbing her - gently- in her wounded left arm causing a light sting to go through the wound spreading out like a shock wave. 

Shock wave of pain and memories flowed through her, Maddy froze lost in them for a single moment.

Dona's brow raised at the sudden awareness of the increase of pain, and she silently counted to ten, before letting out a breath and looking towards him with the same uninterested gaze, unclenching her jaw as to not show weakness or irritation to the stranger. "it's not nice to ignore people queenie." He muttered amusingly

"What." She noticed Billy's gaze was almost predatory though he was still amused, with glinting teeth and shined up eyes that roved over her covered body in some interest. Not a bit of her was comfortable, she didn't like it but maddy remained stoic. 

He chuckled slightly at the sickly sweet venom that left her petal pink lips and the thin line that they were pressed in. Maddy didn't like him, now that was interesting, maybe in Cali this was okay, rare, but it happened, but here, now this was shocking.

"You're the one who i can score with..right?" Dona blew a pink bubble and shrugged her shoulders, before taking the gum back in with her tongue and lips distracting the boy momentarily as she decided that he'd be good business, if he was safe. 

"Yeah...i guess, if you can pay that is." Her shoulders shrugged, before she continued to speak seemingly just to be airily whispering out facts. "...you're gonna have to check with me after school and we'll share a bowl...you're new from cali... and i'm assuming you want to test it before investing, first times free though, so you don't have to pay if you're not interested." He nodded letting a dreamy smile go over his face before holding out his hand like the jerk he was.

Hand shaking at the end of the deal, what were they mob bosses, she didn't see a scar and she wasn't selling coke, but she decided to just go with it and ignore how pretty he was while being the biggest ass hole in the room.

"It's a deal, right after school, i'm in the blue camaro, Billy Hargroves the name." Her brow raised and Dona simply nodded once with a slight shrug, though she couldn't help, but notice how his shirt showed a bit to much of his muscled tanned chest, he was a jerk, all he cared about like most boys, was sex and popularity. 

"Okay...see you after school..Billy." Her hand met his for a moment as she spat out his name testing it as it left her lips, though when she went to pull back he held on tighter, causing Maddie's gaze to meet his, her metalic eyes flashing in warning as she suddenly glared. Her heart beat went rapid and mind whirled, he didn't let go.

"Didn't quite get your name yet sugar-" Billy purred and Dona annoyingly quickly cut him off, trying to keep her cool and get him to let go.

"Ask your friends then, you found out that i am where you get weed, I doubt getting my name would be any harder-""I'm asking you now, wouldn't it be easier just to tell me?" Maddie pouted her lips and and let her eyes go over him for the first time, taking in all that was Billy hargrove, before she leaned in close smirking lightly faking on the wanting that he craved to see.

Billy felt her breath on his lips, smelled mint and smoke on the girl, saw the smallest freckles on her nose, black flecks in her eyes and smiled with slight cockiness. Maybe she did like him, a bit of chase, but not much, he was almost disappointed, almost.

"Say please and i will." Maddy's voice was was a husk coy purr, which sent a fire going straight into his core.

He raised his brow, surprised, but not deterred by her upturned lips and dead eyes. At the challenge Billy began stroking his thumb over the back of her hand ever so softly causing her to swallow, as he let his eyes rove to her pink floyd shirt and the cleavage it revealed. Amongst the hinting cleavage hanged the metal crouched, hooded figure, that hung on a leather strap about the girl's neck, glaring out at the boy with knife drawn as warning.

It was a good, unmoving moment where dona found herself checking his pulse out of curiosity, elevated, but nothing to dramatic. Billy was almost to busy enjoying her tensed up figure, before he took note of the metallic silvering of her eyes and the seriousness that were in them, she wanted him to let go.

Billy really liked her,and wished her smile was still there instead of the annoyance that painted her face, but it still fit her rather well.

"Seriously Doll?"

She scoffed at him asking, seemingly unspell blown and blew a bubble hollowing out her cheeks as his inspection happened once again, some how he couldn't get all of her in one..or even two looks.

Billy was hot but, pretty boys who seemed to be playing the field and somewhat possessive weren't exactly the kind she'd like, jonathan would have been better, but this kid knew he was hot, that was all he had to him, so only a bit of her was attracted to him.

Once the pink gum was in her mouth, Dona nodded her head and almost smile as he swallowed down his want and instead shot her a playfully annoyed look.

"Seriously, wouldn't it just be easier to say it?" The boy chuckled and let his hand loosen, as she shrugged before he took a glance at her paper. "Madonna littleton, nice name...didn't care that much to say please-""didn't care that much to tell you...so win win, it's a good thing you can read."

With that the blacked out teen sat back and looked at the board memorizing it as she started to catch up with the writing. The burning stare from her female peers and the Hargrove boy were not lost on her, nor was the sudden throbbing in her arm that happened later in class.

The stares she could deal with, but half way through the notes, an aching tremble came through her, and Mad had to bite onto her lower lip to stop from whimpering as she glared down at the near useless limb in anger. 

The twitching began small, but grew with the pain to the point where she had to conspicuously hold down her limb with her other hand and release her pencil so that it wouldn't start to tap against her paper and let people be aware of the pain that came with this wound, and how easy her mind focused on the memories as pain hit her.

It took a moment and few hand clenches for the arm to settle into itself and Dona was beginning to rethink the sharing of her daily bowl, but with breath steadied Mad noted the familiar burn of a gaze. As she looked over her silver met the pools of blue, his gaze had been on her face and his lips were pouted, thinned in concern and confusion, as she settled her pain.

The woman clenched her jaw suddenly, before letting out a shaky animalistic breath and gazing ahead at the board to continue with the notes. for the rest of that period, Dona felt his eyes on her, and she hated Billy for it, for seeing her in pain, the ache was something she was was used to, but him seeing her like that, it was just ammo for the firing squad

The next wave came at the end of third period, another class that she shared with Billy, thankfully Jonathan was there to keep her company through out the class and noticed the trembling, before the pain had hit her fully. Dona had just stood from her desk to head to fourth, and Byers was suddenly there to steady her with one hand and her books with another.

Maddy's unburdened trembling limb clenched onto his jean jacket tightly for something to tether her here as black spots clouded her vision. She didn't need to flip or pass out here, holding onto something helped

John pressed his lips on her head as she began to breathe heavily, softly soothing her with a small kind spoken whisper, before the tough girl in Madonna won out and she let go, shoved him away playfully and pulled on her jaw clenched smile. "Thanks byers, but i'm alright, it was just a small tremble, i've had worse....no need to go all big brother on me, thanks though"

That was a lie, in fact it had been one of the worst ones, and with out the Byers boy, Dona would have likely collapsed. But she shoved him away anyhow, because it had felt nice. Really nice, like- lower your lips onto mine and never let go- nice, and despite it being wonderful, Maddy knew that he didn't like her like that.

It hurt that she did, it hurt more than her healing arm did. Knowing the reality she lived in made it easy for Dona to shove by him apologetically and head to Lunch ignoring the blue eyed gaze that followed her out of the class. She didn't want to eat with him after that moment, she needed to calm herself down, so instead she took a odd route, which made the new kid lose her with his friends appearance.

And once she was safe from that, Mad headed into her janitor closet.

Dona didn't own it, but since she had changed the lock to one that had fit her key, instead of the custodian's and since they never reported it, she had it for herself, so it was close enough to her name being written on it. She took out the key and fumbled with it as the crowds she was invisible to were thinning, one she slid inside the door was locked, and Maddy could breathe as she looked about the small shelved sanctuary.

The Closet was filled with a small amount of things, Jonathan's photos, cassettes he had gifted her, the walkman she got from Steve and Nancy from last christmas, a bean bag that was actually from her house and pictures of her family before everything went to shit. The light was still the pull string and she never kept it on opting to use a camping lantern she had gotten from the diner.

Here Donny sat back pulled her mom's book from her backpack and reread the story for the umpteenth time, passing the time trying to find a messege inside her words. until the bell rang and she had to go to the last class of her day

Billy eyes burrowed into her throughout this last class that they shared and she ignored him, which was easy since he was behind her, not giving him the look or time of day throughout the lesson. If he had a closer seat Hargrove would have made sure she paid attention to him, Billy would have asked where she had her lunch, just incase she used that as a smoke break.

He couldn't make it in this cow shit town without a buzz, the sooner and more often he got it, the easier this year would go by, that was it. Besides the buzz she was offering him, Billy wondered why Dona would be with a kid like Byers and why no one else had tried to get with the pale teen. Despite what the whispers about her said, the girl was a solid eight, though that was just from the skin, that Maddie had revealed, that and the way her jeans hugged her ass.

Most of her was covered up though, already ready for winter covered up, with the jacket, flannel, the low cut floyd shirt and the jeans that, though hugged her well toned thighs, also mostly hid the milky skin, he knew was beneath the denim due to the rips in the jeans. It was insane not only was she covered, but every part of the wounded drug dealer was almost black and white, hell even the bitch's eyes were silver, it was odd, amusing, and somehow oddly attractive on Dona.

Class ended quickly with Maddy taking notes and itching for a smoke, when it finally did end Hargrove, followed her out, wanting mainly the weed she had, and to make sure that the girly didn't ditch out on him. 

He was intent on following her immediately, though half way out of the school, a girl with overly teased hair and a easy look in her eyes, bumped into him, full force, forcing him actually, to stop and converse with her. He tried to get away from her at first, though a warm gentle hand on his chest stopped his attempts and Billy met her wanting gaze.

"What's the rush Newbie? I just wanted to personally invite you to the party...I'm Tina, and make sure you don't lose this." The coy smirk on her lips made Hargrove forget for a small moment about his high, he would easily win it out with this woman. "Billy hargrove..." The man eyed the overly orange paper and scoffed at the pun, god small towns fucking bite it.

"yeah i know it's stupid-" the teen began embarrassedly and he stopped her with a gentle lie. "no, no...i like it...i'll definitely be there Tina...it's a beautiful name...for a beautiful girl." His eyes raked over her, he had seen worse than her...but he had been following someone who looked a lot better and had drugs. 

The girl smiled up at him, obviously enjoying his compliment as she began sucking in her lower lip almost as though to look like she had to fight off some urge, though all it succeeded in was the red lip gloss to smudge over her front tooth.

"thanks billy...hope to see you there-""you can bet on it...i gotta go right now...but maybe tomorrow i can give you a ride." the brunette smile split into two and the smudge only worsened, Hargrove had to swallow down a laugh, a lay was a lay, and he'd had lied about a lot more than this to get it.

After a few more interruptions the man bursted out of the front doors and was happily surprised to see the pale skinned girl seated on his car, cigarette between her lips and bored- almost angry look in her silver eyes.

"Aye there weedy, hop in-"'Took you long enough." Maddy barked.

Billy clenched his jaw letting out a hiss of breath before sending her a false apologetic smile, if the bitch was the only way to score he didn't want to piss her off, yet. "Sorry darling, got held up-" The girl pushed herself off of the car's hood and rolled her eyes muttering to herself as she tossed away her cigarette.

"At what? Gun point? I do have better shit to be doing than this." A laugh escaped Hargrove as the tired teen growled to herself, he liked her rough tone, though soon enough his lateness was forgotten due to her need to sooth the everlasting pain and the two sat next to one another with the windows up and he was surprised that the girl looking almost relaxed

Hargrove Had watched her as she settled in and looked over at his cars interior mildly impressed, that was the most he had seen her interested in anything. "this is a great ride....gosh, to bad its wasted on you." Her voice was light almost friendly, though Billy had raised his brow and sent her a questioning angry look which caused her to smirk tightly, great no sense of humor. "o-kay then...thought i was the one supposed to have the stick up my butt...." There was an odd tension in the air which broke when the girl pulled out the baggy from her top...breast pocket and the small bright blue pipe that went along with it from her flannel.

His eyes stayed on her well filled top for a moment, noting a small bandage that had peaked out, before noticing how she professionally packed the bowl, fingers nimbly moving over the intoxicating drugs into the glass holding. Billy was almost in love.

" So what happened to your arm Maddi?" The boy asked just as she was about to light up, her brow raised and she pulled the pipe from in between her lips, before answering coldly, having not lit her smoke yet and eased her anger "Car accident."

"Another one?" Her eyes went even colder into daggers and jaw clenched slightly, before she shook her head pushing off the anger in her rather than answer his question and lit it up, holding the zippo over the glass pipe and taking in a lungful. After a long moment when the trembling numbed into nothing, Dona found herself passing the pipe to Billy and laying back against his seat in comfort.

"Yup." the haze went over her and the words spoke caused the toxic cure to leave her in a huge cloud of smoke. "Well, you really shouldn't be driving then-" He chuckled out licking his lips as she interrupted him angrily. "That's why i have a motorcycle, smoke your shit and shut the fuck up, before i decide i don't want your money.." There was a small silence before the constant stabbing pain in her arm finally stopped and a content sigh left dona, the anger however did not dissipate.

Billy beamed at her enjoying the bite that she shot back, he wondered for a moment what had happened to her, though her sigh made him wonder some other things about her and he did not hide his hormones driven gaze.

"Gosh, you're an angry little princess aren't you." Maddy looked over at billy and beamed hazily nodding her head. Billy liked this version of her, alive, that's what he thought she looked like this way with lips upturned and pleasured hazed eyes, images of her on his bed in this state made his pants tighten before Dona spoke once again.

"Always, but i'm the gosh damned weed queen, don't forget it." There was a relaxed stare she gave him that had a light glint, she smiled gently eyes going over him slowly in admiration of his muscled arms. Soon her wanting gaze was cut short and she was forced to blink tiredly, Maddie wished this stuff didn't make her feel so tired, she still had to go to the arcade and the diner tonight.

He smoked enjoying her attention on him as Billy used his own light to heat the herb. There was a moment after he passed her back to drugs and let out his own smoke, before adding venom on to their atmosphere, being to comfortable wasn't something he was used to, he didn't need to get comfortable with a girl like you.

"Hear you killed someone." The glint dimmed and her fingers wrapped around the base of the pipe as she cheeks hollowed out to inhale the smoke. Mad didn't want to talk about this again, especially with some slime ball like him..no matter the pretty packaging that he came in, all want or gaze she had taken in from the boy was squashed with his words.

The pause and haze that hit Hargrove made him really enjoy the sight of her lips like that, it easily made his adolescent brain go to other things like before. The smoke left her lungs in a cloud, in this moment with the beautiful curtain of smoke separating them, Madonna looked like a succubus from hell. He really hoped that this was the weed talking, because a chick was a chick...she was the one he spent the most time with currently, but it was only day one.

"I heard you killed someone too." Their eyes met and held steady, through the haze they smiled at one another coldly, only for it to be broken by a sudden knocking on the passenger window. A middle school security guard was suddenly there with hands on his hips and brow raised with some question.

Billy's eyes go wide and his hands clench the wheel his dad would kill him if he was caught, Dona raises a brow at his tense posture and rolls down the window casually. He was almost all talk, that was amusing "What seems to be the problem officer?" The adult's eyes softened at the sight of her, though he seems angry when they land back onto Hargrove, like it was the newbie's fault. "I know you still got your script, but you know there are kids here right?"

The woman smiles and nods her head, blinking innocently and answering with an unrecognizably sweet gentle voice which shocked the teen next to her.

"Yeah, i know, that's why we're doing it in the car instead of out there, we would have drove off but Hargrove's giving me a ride home, and he still has to pick up his little sister...." The girl shrugs gesturing to her arm almost embarrassedly, Billy was to shocked by this performance to correct Maddie, and heard real pain in her voice as she continued "...it's been acting up today, so he was kind enough to offer me the ride so i wouldn't crash, didn't mean to cause trouble."

The man tapped the roof gently and nodded his head understanding her well thought of lie, before waving a hand in front of his face to clear the existing smoke.

"Well that's very kind of him, you two drive around the block with your windows rolled down, before picking up the kid, we don't need her smelling this stuff and getting the wrong idea." Beaming politely, the girl nodded her head and slipped the lighter and pipe into her pocket before waving away the officer gently.

After the smoke had cleared out, the man had left and the window had rolled up, Maddie shot a wicked smirk at the shocked teen, his blue eyes gave a look of respect and kissable lips curled up to give up a look of wanting. "Now, that was impressive, you're a good liar." Tapping out the bowl and scoffing at him, Dona rolled her silver eyes before shoving it down her pocket.

"Bullshit, i am a great liar!" She said calmly beaming at Hargrove with a slight blush before killing the small excitement. "Well, that was basically the bowl..So you planning on making it onto my list of customers, or are you flying high on life as it is." The haze was good, not the best he had, but for a small shitty town like hawkins, it was amazing. "put me on the list, how much a bowl?"

She shrugged sucking in her lips as she thought of the bills she had to pay. For kids like Tommy it was thirty, just because they were dicks, and for the others who sometimes shared with her, it was ten and over, she didn't know quite where to place Billy . "Give me a number first. " His brow raised and in his haze he spat out randomly. "15-""twenty." The man shrugged and then decidedly nodded his head.

"Fine...just because you're cute. " Maddie rolled her eyes vaguely remembering Tommy's comment from earlier "Don't do that. Trying to sleep with me isn't going to get you a discount...Despite what tommy may have told you." Billy chuckled and rolled his eyes not surprised she had heard his slim ball of a buddy. Hargrove didn't really like that kid either.

"Yeah, i kind of guessed that, especially since you and the Byer's freak seem to be buddy buddy-""Don't call him that." Maddy growled suddenly shutting back down to her icy self losing all sarcasm as she pulled her bag up from the floor board and glared at him coldly. For a buzzed Billy this was just so damn amusing that he started out in a laugh slapping his seat. "More than buddy buddy then, he is one lucky-"

"Fuck you Hargrove, he's not a freak, and not that it's any of your business, but you can tell your buddies that me and him are not sleeping together." The glare Dona shot him, before pulling open her door, made him want to apologize for some reason, which was something he didn't do, it just looked so disappointed and like she had expected him to bring it up, or something worse. It reminded Hargrove of him mom, the way she looked at his dad in the end

"See you, whenever... probably drive around like the cop said, if not for your sister, for your parents-" Her voice changed back to that uncaring tone and he found himself speaking before he could stop himself "Look I didn't mean to offend you, seriously, byers doesn't seem to bad, better than-" The door had shut and he watched her well covered bottom saunter across the parking lot to her motorcycle, like she hadn't even talked to him in the first place, maddy didn't even look back at him.

He slammed his fist against the dashboard almost driving off as he noticed who was waiting for her. All the while she walked off her hair was being tied up, Byers stood waiting over her shoulder giving Billy a glare. well if they weren't fucking billy had no idea what was wrong with the man.

Hell he didn't even know what was wrong with him either.

1985 1812 15311


	2. Chapter two- Clean ups

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Billy is an asshole, sometimes. 
> 
> http://krisdedecker.typepad.com/.a/6a00e0099229e8883301bb07fdc026970d

(Photo is honestly kind of what I was picturing for the scars)

Mad tied up her hair and put on a weed hazed smile as she hopped onto her bike, feeling the fall wind blow against the back of her neck like a lovers caress. This gentle reaction was caused by her haze coursing through her veins, so this icy weather wasn't affecting her like it did this morning, so though she still was a bit cold, the woman found herself enjoying the weather.

Though not even the weed heightened senses cooled her small anger that she now held for billy, she was just happy the jackass hadn't brought up her brother.

Her eyes fell on jonathan and she gave him a small nod as greeting, before settling down on her bike and starting it up she almost just left like that before a memory flickered to her. "Almost forgot, you don't worry about Will's payment at the arcade, i talked to Bob, i'm gonna be covering his coins..you need the gas money if you're going to be driving them around everywhere,." He smiled and seemingly lit up slightly at her softness. "Thank you Donny..but you don't have to."

Her brow raised as a challenge and the girl found herself shrugging. as he stayed silent "I know i don't, but i will, it's pay back for you waiting for me everyday. I'll see you and the rascals in a bit right?" Her friend shot her a look before the girl cleared it up. "I need a warning before dealing with all of them, as their captain you'll know, come on, blink twice for yes" Byers nodded almost amused as she acted like the kids were an invading foreign force causing his usually stern expression breaking into that smile and causing Dona's heart to do flips. "Of course we're coming, all of them.."

Maddy's face must have lit up slightly and jonathan must have noticed, probably not, but either way he changed his smile and continued to speak. "..sadly their captain has to take the ship in for inspection, so they'll be invading without me." a small heart fall was quickly caught and the girl rolled her eyes.

"yeah you just want some alone time without them, no need to lie Kirk." They smirk at her geeky reference and Jonathan shrugged slightly with a light chuckle and Madonna did the same though a horrible internal storm went through her head.

Why didn't he look at her like he did Nancy? The question fleeted by as she knew the answer and it was just far to fucking simple for her to be okay with. They were to alike, they had a fucked up home- his less so than hers- and Nancy was, well, Nancy.

She had perfect hair, soft smile, sweet voice, she was nice to Jonathan and to the boy that was all he wanted. Someone normal, unscarred and sweet, Dona was none of those things being, scarred, fucked up, and brutally honest despite how she did try to be sweet it just didn't work.

It didn't matter if she could tell he was going somewhere, that Dona got his photos, kept every one of them that he gave her, and every cassette he had made the girl; it just mattered that Nancy was there, she was there and could see jonathan, from seeing him to whatever else, Byers saw in the wheeler girl , Mad had no idea, she just knew he didn't like her. And he wouldn't

"Yeah, i honestly need to get their geeky nagging out of my head, hanging out with you wouldn't help that-" The girl let a scoff escape her and he took a step back as a false apology. "But anyhow lieutenant uhura, be careful driving..i'll see you in a bit." The ebony haired woman gave him a half smile as she started up the motor once again.

"She dealt mainly with communications, you should have gone with chekov, i could be a sexy russian." Jonathan faked a gagging motion before Maddy rolled her eyes at him and drove away from the school leaving him to head to his car and wait for Will.

Be careful, it was amusing, more than his miss trek was , that he said that to Dona, she never was and he knew it, but still seemed to want to try, like a broken record wanting to finish it's song, but continuing to skip over the same lines. Jonathan of course was skipping over her abusive home and over burdened guilt Dona carried with her, but the small help he tried to give, meant the world to her even if she never bothered to follow it through .

Her heart was pounding with the drug and adrenaline as the wind whipped her bangs wildly, she loved this, the thoughts of her none existent relationship and very real horror show she lived in blew away like leaves in the fall breeze. By simply going about the streets, as fast as she could knowing that she was in control, not her father, not some other teen, just her, this made her feel alive, alive.

This is why she wouldn't be careful, to feel alive at the cost of almost dying, was worth it and so much more. Though the small down side, came in the form of the wind stinging her cheeks, reminding the girl that she had to bring her scarf for tomorrow so that she wouldn't get frost bitten, that and she couldn't have a good smoke or listen to music.

Her happy thoughts fled for a moment being taken over, rather drealy with thoughts about how much control she did actually have. The money Maddy had saved up wouldn't do her any good until this school year ended, her home life was shit, shit to the point that she might not make it to the next year, and all Mad had was this fucking bike, a lighter and a book.

One wrong turn and she could end it, her way. That's what her mother probably thought, that she could have control on that one thing. Maybe she was right.

Death was control, the one thing everyone got besides life, the latter wasn't the better gift in the girl's opinion. But the little control Maddy did think she had could easily end by one of her throbbing session, a small one even and she could drive head first into a tree. So even that wasn't in her control...she really had nothing, if she thought about it.

So she didn't and the thought hid itself as she got off her bike and pulled on her working smile. She removed her jacket and set it on the back of her chair to take the place of her coworker and prepare for the next four hours. It was only a few minutes though after she got situated that Jonathan pulled up and the numerous children piled out of the car causing a real smile to tease her lips.

She loved these kids, more than she loved anything, and they cared about her she saw it as they entered beaming like light bulbs up at her, Maddy would really miss them when she left. Her thoughts quickly turned away from that and on to Jonathan and they came in the form of this: He'd be a great father, and he was almost already on his was to being one.

The older Byer's smiled as he caught her admiring gaze and Maddie had the courage to blush and turn her head to him in response before speaking to the boys. They'd be okay without her

"hey buddies, how was school? anything interesting happen?" Dustin lit up at the question with his newly grown teeth glinting as he raced to the counter curled hair bouncing beneath his hat as he almost walked towards her as his feet patterned in excitement. "We found mad max-""shut up dustin it's embarrassing-" Maddy shot Lucas a stern look for interrupting and being rude.

In response, he raised his brow stepping back in surrender fearing the teen would pull out a super soaker and aim it his way, his fears were not unpresidented.

"So Dust, who is it?" A small smile tugged at his lips as Madonna defended him, with this small gloat in mind, he continued with his story. "She's a new girl at our school, and she is awesome. She's coming over today should be here soon actually, and she rides a skateboard, and she's from california...." Dustin stated exaggerating his words with a light excitement.

Dona nodded her head, chuckling lightly as she waved away Jonathan, who had stayed there and watched the boys with some concern. Most of them were rambling together in excitement while Mike swallowed looking abashed and Will seemingly was almost drifting away from all of this.

She looked over to the children in some surprise at the news, these kids found the most interesting things, this was one of the better things, well at least compared to the demogorgon. Max must have been the ginger she saw yesterday.

"And how exactly is that embarrassing Lucas? Is it because she's a girl, do you have something against skateboarding or is it the fact she's from Cali? Hate disney or something bub?" His cheeks blushed and the boy shook his head shrugging it off as his friends playfully pushed him about.

"Ooh you got in trouble, Maddy lectured you good.-""It ain't that, it's just shesnew been here less time than us and already has out done our best score. That right there is fucking disgraceful." Mad's lips pouted and she bobbed her head understandingly trying to fight off a laugh.

"Now that right there is a bit embarrassing, but i'd be fucking impressed by her rather than anything...she may be a good addition to the team, and hell it'd be nice to talk to a girl, no offense boys." Mike shot the teen a glare and shook his head as she slid a roll of quarters to the byers kid as she had had promised. A shot of shame went through Dona, Mike thought that she had hated El because if not for her Benny..wouldn't have died.

He was wrong though. She knew what had happened and though Benny had been planning to let the girl live with him, that wasn't something that the woman would blame on El. Hell Maddie wouldn't be alive if not for the girl taking out those two men, Dona didn't hate her, she couldn't.

"You know i didn't mean it like that-""I don't know what you're talking about." He muttered and the woman rubbed the bridge of her nose tiredly letting out a sigh as the kids moved over to their games. She missed El too, but just like almost everyone else, the kid was gone.

Mike needed time and she got that, but that didn't mean he had to push everyone away, which is what he was doing, hypocritically, Maddy did that too, but Mike was better than her. After a few minutes of talking to the kids and watching them play, the haze of her medicine ended and she felt the urge to smoke.

A urge she quickly gave into. "Bob, i'm gonna have a smoke break, watch after these hollagens." The middle aged man chuckled and playfully shot a warning look to the kids as she slipped dustin some point earned pops and stepped out of the arcade.

The air was crisp and maddy tugged annoyingly at the arcade vest she was supposed to wear and shivered at the lack of her jacket, focusing at the icy ache as she walked across the lot, the girl didn't notice the on coming car and was almost was hit by a familiar blue car.

At the sound of brakes squealing, Mad broke out of her state, stopped, raised her brow and ever so slowly placed the smoke between her lips before looking over at the Hargrove siblings with some annoyance and an eerie calmness about her as wide blue eyes bore into her. Her own heart was steady as his eyes were glinting with shock and anger.

A small voice broke their stare and Dona was utterly shocked to see a kid next to him who was breathing heavily, looking as though she herself was almost hit. "I told you not to drive so-""Shut up Max." The venomed voice caused Maddy to tense and put on a fake smile, though she shot a warning glare to Billy, before looking over at the young ginger she had seen before. They were her neighbors, great.

"No, harm no foul kiddo, i'm okay...thanks for your concern though" the kid nodded her head once, with weary eyes at the pale teen who seemed far to calm and collected to have almost gotten killed by her maniac of a brother and got out of the car as Billy looked towards Max to shook up to want to meet Maddy's gaze.

"Remember what i said-" He was cut off by Max who angrily growled at him suddenly not caring about the audience they had before them "One hour i got it-""watch your mouth." Max flipped him off as she slammed the door and billy turned to glare ahead at the weed queen as she ever so slowly lit up her cigarette and gave him a disappointed look.

She enjoyed the anger that flowed through his blue eyes, it wasn't scary to her, only one person scared her, his attempt at it was amusing. "Get out of the way queenie-""Be nicer to your sister-""she's not my sister." His glare made the teen actually break out into a smile and shake her head causing the boy to rev his engine.

"I should call the cops for kidnapping then." Smoke left the paled woman as she spoke and with a seemingly bored gaze, Dona stepped out of the way of the car and started to walk away back towards the arcade. She no longer felt like settling back onto her bike just quite yet, not if it was this cold and not if he wasn't going to peel away like she had hoped.

Another drag and stare ahead as her back rested on the pier ignoring those blue eyes like she had been all day, he let out a sigh watching her before deciding to speak. "Queenie, didn't take you for a working girl, why aren't you inside curled up with a book or a Byers?" The girl shook her head and just shrugged lightly. "Didn't take you for big brother, an asshole yes, but a big brother, now that was a surprise, how about you pop off back home, i'd like to finish my smoke break."

The man rolled his eyes and looked over her with that smile. "Now you are just very entertaining. Queenie. I'll be back in an hour, have another smoke break then." Maddy rolled her eyes and shook her head putting out the cherry on the wood. "I don't think i will, see you at school."

She was done smoking for the day, even if she wasn't Dona wasn't going to take orders from Hargrove, it was pathetic, he was pathetic to, just a boy trying to control everyone else because he didn't have control of anything outside of the group of kids. "You'll miss me." She heard him call and Maddy pouted her lips pausing in step to look back at him with a scolding expression, her hand frozen on the handle as she shook her head and turned once more to head inside.

Billy glared over at the pale chick and rolled his eyes as he peeled out of the lot, Stupid bitch. he didn't give a shit, she had good weed and that was it. He had smoked it in the past in cali, but hell the prescribed stuff was great, he had to sit back and ride it out for a bit before Max broke his concentration, he hadn't even smoked it all and Hargrove didn't notice that his step shit had been late.

but that was it, he didn't care about the chick though, just the fact that she was carrying. He tried to focus on the road wondering what the loser small town kids he collected had planned for his first day back, hating it already.

Tommy had a spray can which interest the man slightly though he didn't think they were going to use it in the best way instead he found himself clenching his jaw in a tense smile as they painted some rock that seemed out of place amongst the side of the road. "Come on Hargrove, add your name, its tradition." With a dramatic eye roll he hesitantly stepped towards it noting the number of names that were there, hell even the weird kid had his spray on there.

shrugging his shoulders he picked up a purple can and eyes for one of the lease covered spots on the desecrated bolder. "Woah, woah, Hargrove, not there, that spot, that spot needs to be clearly readable." Tommy said, with slitted eyes the denimed boy eyed his freckled fiend in question.

"And why would that be Tommy?" the boys cheeks went up with a wicked grin and he pointed to the red letters that billy's hand rested on, pulling back the appendage with slight interest he was a yellow original name covered in a horrid blood maroon tease

MadKiller Littleton

Paint had dripped like blood eerily down the stone and billy swallowed before shaking up his can and shrugging his shoulders. "So she really kill someone or yah boys just to pissed she ain't putting out." Tommy's smile faltered before he broke out into nervous laughter and shook his head. "Nah she killed someone alright, hell, a few people actually if you ask me." The other boys from the basketball team stated snickering.

"Yeah her poor brother didn't know what hit him..." He shot a look to the brown haired teen who said it and furrowed his brows even more. "Queenie killed her brother?" Tommy noted slight concern in his voice as billy sprayed his name beneath the girl's "That she did, why she tell you something different to make ya care billy?"

With an eye roll he finished off his smoke and burnt his cigarette into the offensive name before snorting in a false snicker. "Nah i'm just surprised the bitch had it in her." The smugness in his voice was followed by the stinging slap of guilt as the boys hooted in laughter. "Yah, that poor dad of hers, having to live with a psycho like her, i'm surprise she let him last this long, probably enjoys watching him drink himself to death."

Donny sent the boys off being now alone in the empty arcade, the afternoon rush ending as Bob headed out in trusting the girl to lock up before she left as she finished sweeping. It was nice being here, Maddy thought owning this place would have been nice too, but that wouldn't happen for her. The girl had to get out of this town, with the rumors about her, there was no way that Dona could live a normal life, hell even without them she couldn't live here because dear old dad any how.

Maybe she should leave, right now, she could get her money out and just leave, Littleton could get a job somewhere else, maybe go to a different high school, pack up her stuff from the closet and just leave with that, she didn't need much. The thought was nice, but without a degree, or diploma no one would hire her, and just that was enough to still Maddy's thought as she danced along with nothing and swept the checkered floor.

Just one more yea- A chill went over her neck, a clicking was in the distance, why was it so cold. Maddy's eyes widened as she looked about her suddenly seeing that she wasn't where she was supposed to be, it was the arcade but the lights were out and the walls were musky with mold and vines of black. The throbbing burning sting was back in full force and her hand gripped the wooden handle in reaction to the pain.

Oh god, there it was, the demogorgon, it's face opening up, standing tall the creature reaches out for Madonna slowly, not rushing forward as it had happened to be a foot or so away.

hit it, hit it, come on maddy kill the bitch for what it did to Barb. Her mind raced with the thoughts of what to do, though Donny's body was still with shock, freezing up as it always did, as it's licorice black finger stroked her pale cheek gently. That unnatural touch made her launch back away from the monster and onto the ground as she slipped on black goo that surrounded the monster before her. Maddy angrily held the broom tightly hating how her heart raced as she tried to threaten the curious monster who went to touch her again.

"I am not afraid of you." The teen whispered as the creature clicked its teeth in laughter, his hot breath against her face caused the frozen girl to close her eyes, expecting the quick death as suddenly the broom slipped from her hand and onto her lap. Maddy would die alone, this was it. 

but nothing came.

it was warm again, the moment was over, there was no sound except a car driving by, no smell but stale popcorn, though she felt a small sting where the monster had touched her. Maddy opened her eyes hesitantly shaking in her skin, it was just a nightmare. Her arm's throbbing lessoned and she found herself picking up the broom once more and finished her job.

"It was just a nightmare, it wasn't real" Dona repeated tiredly, like the other times she had to tell herself, even before the wound she had these flashes. Some times El even showed up, with a small mop of brown curls and bright eyes, that's how the girl knew it was just a nightmare, Eleven couldn't have been alive after all of this time.

Donny didn't have time to think about the girl or the monster as she took off her vest and hung up the keys, before heading out to her bike with jacket in hand, the girl had another seven hours to go before she had to crawl back home, this was just one of her jobs. and this was just one of her nightmares.

The ride there was nice, less traffic with more turns.

Her other job was near the outskirts of the town, not to far out, but distant enough that, evidently, you wouldn't hear gun shots if they went off here. Every day she'd park in her spot, where billy used to and hung her coat underneath his newly placed memorial plack. Benny's wife Patricia greeted the teen with a bright smile as she buttoned up her flannel fully and redid her bun with a gentle softness reappearing about her.

"Hey Trish, we busy today?" The regulars had came back in slowly, but surely in some group inforced attempt to stop Benny's from closing, but sometimes they didn't or even better sometimes a lot of people did. Maddy noted how tired the woman looked as she strained a smile and took out her smoke from behind her ear.

"Not to, i'mma gonna take this real quick, you're okay to be working?" With a encouraging smile the teen nodded and let the grieving woman leave as she put on her apron.

Dona circulated from doing dishes, taking orders, refilling, and cashing them out, Patty did the cooking and came out when necessary, which was rare with Dona but, May had already left by the time the girl came in which was the only reason that Trish had been out in the front to greet the teen. It was around six thirty when a familiar camaro had pulled up and caused maddy to frown..

Maddy rolled her eyes and hoped at least his little sister would have been with the boy so she'd be able to have a conversation. But there was no such luck, not only was it Billy, but Tommy, Mark and paul were also with him pulling out of the car, they better fucking tip well. She gathered up the four menus with equal number of cutlery before breaking into her customer service smile.

"Oh my god, queenie is that you?" The smile fell right then and there for a moment, before she put it back on and instead of saying the smart come back ignored him. "You boys go on and sit anywhere you like, i have your menus ready when you do." Tomy snickered shooting that annoying look that said he was going to give her hell to mark as they sauntered over to the corner booth.

Billy stayed back and looked over her with amusement as she tried to slide past him. "look good in that apron Maddy, maybe just wear that next time i see you...but for now mind showing me the restroom." Her brows furrowed at his stupid, very stupid and drink induced slurred line.

"it's...right behind you." he drunkenly smiled at her, eye glinting wildly before moving off with that buzz she had seen earlier to the restroom. Tommy and Mark beam up at the girl as she set down their menus and had her pen ready to write down their drinks. "what will you two like to drink today?" Her smile was tense as the boy's eyes looked over her. "well darling i think that one of you on Ice would be great."

Her jaw clenched lightly and the girl shook her head. "Ah...all out on that...well i'll take a chocolate smoothie, extra chocolate." Tommy stated leering lightly with his tongue sticking out gently as he eye fucked Maddy. "One chocolate chocolate milkshake, and what about you sir?" Mark beamed and leaned on his hand as he to gawked at the kid.

"Well, how about a coke...no poison if you could." With a tight lipped neer she nodded her head and glared at them. "I'll see if i can help it. " Paul was a nicer version of Tommy who gave her a small apologetic smile before ordering, Maddy's glare lessoned on him. "Root Beer float...please." She gave him a small nod before turning to the big dickwad. " I'll be back to take your orders." Her icy glare made Tommy fake a shiver before he rolled his eyes and Dona marched off to the back room.

With fountain drinks easily made the girl added extra chocolate chips to the shake and fought off the urge to spit in the chocolate mixture before she controlled herself and headed out once more only to nearly run into Billy, who seemed to have sober up slightly. His face was wet and ends of his two blond curls dampened slightly.

"SHit..um, you going to get a coffee or something..." He looked at her tilting his head and shrugging slightly before rolling his eyes. "Fucking surprise me queenie, but i'm just getting fries to eat, so don't bother trying to butter me up...i'm in no mood to eat." her brow raised at his sudden less then happy mood, and sucking in her lower lip the girl nodded her head.

she didn't feel insulted and started up a pot of coffee before gathering up the three drinks and setting them down. "Hargrove, you're getting a coffee, we have half and half and sugar is on the table if you need it, i just started the pot so it'll be a bit, the refill on the coke and coffee will be free and on the float if it's just the root beer otherwise i'll have to charge you, now what will you gents like to eat?"

Hargrove lazily smirked and laid back on the booth before she wrote down fries and the cheese burgers that the remaining trio wanted, she thought it was easy and let out a breath before beginning to walk away. "Hey Mad...Try not to poison us okay, kill anyone else and hopper might not just do a house search this time..." Dona stopped where she was and let out a breath as Tommy and Mark broke out into laughter, billy even managed a chuckled before she continued.

"Order up! three cheeses with the french, and a side of the frenchies all on their lonesome, make em big..." The girl said this in a bright voice before pouring the freshly made coffee in to the big cup and finally heading back to the table, tommy grinned wickedly at her as he sipped his shake and disgustingly smacked his lips. In return Maddy almost angrily slapped the hot coffee cup onto the counter causing the brown liquid to slosh dangerously close to the porcelain rim.

"there you go Hargrove, will you boys be needing any condiments. " The freckled boy leered eyes roving over her greedily. "Thought you'd never ask sugar." The waitresses trimmed brows furrowed before she cracked up holding onto her side as she cackled wickedly.

"Oh..my god.." the silver eyed girl wiped a fake tear away from the corner of her eye before smirking.

"...You are so fucking stupid you burn out, i don't care if i charge you thirty a bowl Tommy, for the sake of our basketball team, i am cutting you off from my stash...you don't know the difference between a condom and condiments, that right there is so sad....you boys know what that means right? Please tell me it's just tommy, otherwise, i'm losing half my business right here and now."

Paul was biting his fist trying to fight off laughter which made Maddy do a once over on him with an almost admirable smile, Mark looked genuinely confused, which didn't surprise her, and Billy shot the girl a wide grin while putting sugar into his coffee. 

"Boys, the difference is that condoms are meant for your meat package, condiments as used to sauce up them, Ketchup, Mustard, Mayo, relish, hot sauce, ranch, do any of those ring a bell to you?" Her voice had went soft again and though it was gentle, all of them could see the seething mockery she was making of them.

"we know what those are Killer, Ketchup all around and why not add in some mustard." Tommy started with a wicked glare as she raised a brow and put on a smirk. "All you had to say was that, don't know why you boys have to make everything so damn difficult. " Her smirk was making the pale teen light up with some teasing joy as she then turned tail and walked away.

Billy knew she was milking it on Tommy's stupidity, but that was entertaining as shit, and the boy grumbling under his breath about it was all the more entertaining. Maddy came back with two burgers and the required sauces acting as though nothing had happened. Tommy slurped his shake and glared at her retreating figure before his eyes lit up with a thought.

One more burger and the pot of coffee to refill Hargroves near empty cup. "I'm good Maddy-""you're drunk and you're driving, you either take the damn second cup, i'm taking your keys, or calling the cops, there's no fourth option, i'd rather you have to pee a bit sooner than later rather then you fuckers end up dead...you know people talk." her silver eyes moved over to tommy who had the gull to blush and act shy.

the girl really wanted to make him choke, but the flash of red ended quickly and she gave them a false beam before heading off to get Billy's plate of food. The plate of fries was large, larger than the normal size, Trish had made it that way per Dona's request because just incase he refused the second cup of coffee, at least there would be a shit ton of greasy food inside his stomach. Just because the girl didn't give a shit about almost any one didn't mean she wanted Hargrove and his gang of ass hats to all die.

If billy was drunk driving there was a likely chance that he could probably hurt someone walking on the side of the road whether that be someone she cared about or not, Dona didn't need to go to any more funerals this year. She noticed tommy smirking at her and his finger flicking his straw as he leered happily at the teen.

Her head shook but she smiled softly trying her best to hold her tongue as she set down the plate overflowing with fries and looked over at the boys. "So do any of you need refills? Tommy you're obviously thirsty, want another chocolate shake?" He surprisingly beamed at her ignoring the obvious jest at his desperate horniness and nodded his head. "Yeah, me and mark would love another refill." Ignoring how chipper he sounded the teen took his near empty shake glass and Marks coke from him.

She had just turned around when Tommy put his foot out and tripped her, Maddy scolded herself for not seeing this coming, but by the time that thought had came to her the remains of the drinks she was holding, came up and drenched the girl, Maddy's buttoned up flannel was covered in shake, her hair in coke. On the way down Maddy had caught herself oddly on one of the nearby empty tables, with her scarred up arm, causing the aching to explode up through her shoulder and her knees to buckle.

Her teeth were clenched in anger and pain, the girl's fist gripped about the glasses that she had somehow managed to hold onto, the only thing stopping Donna from launching at the table of boys was trish's watchful gaze from the kitchen window. She couldn't disappoint patty, not after lying to her like she had.

So,, as steadily as she could, Dona stood and looked over at tommy with a sickly sweet smile that made Billy worry for his classmate. she was calm once more like she had been just after almost getting hit by his car, but this time Mad, looked like she lived up to her name.

Her hair was drenched, red flannel turned a muddy brown, lips upturned and a hateful laugh leaving her lips.

"Ah that was a good one Tommy, better enjoy the view cause this is the only time in your life that any girl besides your mother is going to be covered in your shake, Mark though, you'll have plenty of time when you end up in jail to be covered in this sticky stuff so don't try to keep this as a mental picture, you'll get plenty of chances to relive this moment." Her voice was light and Maddy's knuckles were pale as she gripped the glasses and tried not to let the pain ripple through out her as badly.

It did anyhow but her breathing was the only thing that kept the cups in her hands, with out her bosses gaze being visible, throwing these cups seemed like an amazing idea, but Maddy knew better and shrugged her shoulder wincing slightly before turning tail and heading to the back.

It didn't matter that they laughed at her, it didn't matter that weed was on the forefront of her mind, Dona had to finish cleaning up before being able to ease her urge, it'd be a reward that way. Trish had the water bucket and towels ready for the girl and started up on the shake and drinks, after of course adding the damage to Tommy's total.

with stained top and no other option, because jackets were highly unprofessional, Madonna was forced to go bare, and show her, scarred arm. Mark was the first to catch it as she headed over with drinks in hand, his tanned features turned into a sneer and he noticeably nudged Tommy's attention. All the boys then found their eyes on the wounded area

Maddy rolled her eyes and placed down the cups ignoring the states before the dumbass spoke. "Now that fucking thing is horrendous, i don't think i should be forced to look at it while i'm trying to fucking eat, the fuck is wrong with this place? " while wiping up the drinks from where they had gotten on the counter, the newly washed girl let out a breath and paused what she was doing.

Paul, the nicer of the trio seemingly paled at the wound though did not add onto the duo's exclamations of disgust and shock. "Well, before you go back to blowing tommy you should tell him to watch where he puts his fucking foot next time and then you wouldn't have to look at it."

Billy was only gave a half smile as his crystal were blue eyes locked onto her left arm, it was freckled, pale almost normal until you saw above her wrist, scars came at the curve of her arm, scratching outward to the elbow corner. Pink raised flesh, solid and in the center somewhat speckled, which could be seen on the outer side of the limb, was splaying outward from the olecranon, like a horrible flower that had wrapped itself around the appendage, it looked almost like they had shape.

Billy couldn't look away, he couldn't make himself even as the girl's cheeks heated in embarrassment, and Maddy forced herself to look down to her work, she was now on her hands and knees not daring to look up at the table of teen boys. He felt sorry for her, interested and absolutely filled with pity at the aching looking limb, he wondered how she even got up in the morning with that shit on her.

"God, Mad, that must really hurt, Not as much your brother must have, but hell you saw the body, did he look like that after you got through with him?" Hargrove shot a look to Tommy who seemingly was having the time of his life as the newbie couldn't think about taking another bite of his fries, which were now growing cold.

Tommy continued letting his horrible laughter ring out in the near empty restaurant, the tension thickened like taffy being pulled "... That'd be a fucking ironic way for god to go about this, but fuck me if i'm wrong, but i think you would enjoy the reminder..more than the one you wear on your neck, ain't that right."

There was a pause where her grip on the towel got so tight that her nails actually dug into the palm and crimson began to spread about the cloth. "..I however, can't stand the fucking sight of it, you're a real fucking piece of work Mad Killer, boys i think trish can get us the to go boxes and the check, i really can't stand the sight of that, might not catch only crazy from this bitch if we stay here, might catch whatever the fuck it is on her arm too."

Tommy had said this coldly as he ever so cockilg kicked over the bucket that was next to her, in a moment, Maddy had no control over herself, she grabbed the plastic bucket by the metal handle and slammed it onto the pricks head so she could yank him towards her.

His friends stood shocked as she slammed him against the still wet floor, straddled him, and ripped the item off of his head before repeatedly slamming his head into the tile.

There was no better feeling then seeing him squirm beneath her, his eyes wide and friends struggling to pull the woman off of him, Maddy wasn't going to let him get away with this.

"You want a killer? Here you go, i hope you shits enjoy the fucking show, i know i am gonna!" Her arm didn't hurt, hand didn't shake as she slammed her thumb through his wide open eye socket, pink struggling face getting covered in crimson as unfamiliar sticky warmth covered her thumb and his dying voice screamed out in perfect agony

The boys were only able to pull her off then as she laughed out and let herself get squirted in the fuckers blood, the tile beneath him even turning red from the wounds she had given him, it felt good to be alive, Dona didn't even notice the hits she was receiving.

Maddy blinked and stared at her tainted reflection from the now wet tiled surface. she had finished cleaning and carefully wiped her eyes before gripping the metal reminder and standing up tall to put back the cleaning supplies on to see Trish in mother mode, shouting at the trio of boy's with face red.

"-I don't want to see any of you in my restaurant again, any of you dare and try to show your god forsaken faces around here again, It won't be Maddy you'll have to worry about- I will make that girl look like Mary fucking poppins compared to what i will do to you shits, you're lucky i'm just yelling at you, i don't give a shit who your rich bitch parents are, this is my place, and Mady is my girl."

The shouting made Dona smile and she took a step back only to step into a firm chest, with in a moment she slipped as she tried to get away and was met with strong arms holding her up. Billy looked down at her with a soft smile, one hand on her wounded forearm, and the other about her waist.

It was a moment and her surprise turned back into the cold stone as Maddy backed up ignoring how her arm didn't hurt as much with him there. his blue eyes went over her like it was the first time he was seeing her and Billy held out his hand towards her, out of instinct Dona took it and was met with money.

She was surprised but as he slid it to her, Hargrove pushed passed and rolled his eyes. "Food's shit anyhow, see you around Queenie." He sauntered out with a smirk on his face, though it didn't quite reach his eyes as he pulled out a smoke and placed himself into the front seat of his car, ignoring Tommy knockin over the girls bike before he raced into the passenger side.

"Fuck was that about Hargrove? Talking to the killer like that? Whisper anything to the freak? what scars do it for you?" Billy scoffed and peeled out of thelot. "Bitch is the only way we get weed, i ain't gonna get in her bad graces and be forced to pay fifty bucks a puff, you guys wanna burn through your money, but i like the mary jane.."

Tommy slapped his hand on Billy's shoulder chuckling full heartedly. "Didn't fucking think about that stuff, maybe flip her over and the scar won't be so bad, Hargrove taken one for the team." He felt sick but let out a battle cry as he drove, sometimes shit wasn't fair, he didn't care about the Queenie.

Dona was able to finish the rest of the night without incident, the other customers tipped overly well and the girl made sure to slip some of it into the register, because Trish had stood up for her, and she needed it more than Mad did. "Kiddo, don't listen to them okay, we all know the truth, shit happened, that's what happened with your mom and brother, and that's what happened to my Benny...don't let this get to you."

there was something so motherly about the woman which made tear prick through her silver eyes and the woman nodded her head before tugging on her jacket. Trish thought that Maddy had tried to kill herself, hell a lot of people did, just because the fake car crash that Dona used as cover was never found, they thought that Jonathan was covering for her and the wound came from some sort of burn.

But even with that Trish kept the girl close, she and benny never had kids, this was how the two had tried to forget it. Maddy was okay with having been used this way, it was the best way anyone had used her. A sigh left her as she picked up the bike knowing that the wind hadn't been responsible for this, but it was alright so she didn't let it get to her.

the drive to school was cold and dark, but she tried to focus on the homework that she had to catch up on rather than the familiar sting in her arm. Dona knew she'd be okay, a turn and the feeling almost left her before she saw a car speed past her, with familiar voices shouting at her.

"Mad, Mad, Mad, killed your family, you're so very bad, bad ,bad." her eyes rolled and the girl parked in hr usual spot before hopping off, and with jacket tightly tucked about her, Dona marched home. every sound almost made her jump, though when she was almost struck by the same car, Maddy did jump, out of the way of the cherry red vehicle, only to hit her head against a rock at the bottom of the revine.

unconsciousness, was welcoming.

Thirteen year old Maddy sat in the back seat of the car with bag tightly held to her chest. Her mom was muttering apologies to the girl's father as Jack, in the back looked completely lost. "After this many years of marriage, i can't fucking believe you, and you want to take away my kids-"Kid, only one of them are yours-""Mom!"

Maddy shouted from the back of the car causing the woman to look at her in some hardened anger which relaxed once she saw the green eyed boy with his hands covered by her oldest child. "What did i do wrong? I love Jack, I love maddy, I loved you, why-""because it's never been you! You've known that-"

It happened at all at once the slap, the crash, darkness and then light. Figures ripped open the door and Dona felt someone shaking her. "Mad's..get up...get up...get up..." Her eyes open slightly and weakly the girl looks at her brother with his bright eyes and cut cheek. "Hey Josie, are you okay?"

He nodded looking worriedly over to their parents. "I'm alright- Hey get off let me go-Maddy!" Her brother screaming brought her out of the stupor and the girl winced with each movement as she wrapped her arms around him and kicked weakly at the figures. "Let go...let go off my brother-" her body was wracked with pain and a whimper left her as he slipped out of her arms and into the bright light of the outside world.

"Mads! Help me!" The young girl with all of the energy she could muster crawled out of the car and out onto the road, in the distance she heard grumbling of an engine, and her mothers whines from nearby. Everything was to bright though and Maddy raced towards the running car as it distanced itself.

The last thing she saw as her sight returned and quickly faded to black was the retreating sight of a van driving further and further away

Dona woke under the same moon, her head aching but no crimson staining the ground made her think she was lucky, it was still night, and all the girl had to do was get home. each step was a nuisance but with steady breath she pushed through it, and managed to find herself on her street.

Billy drove long after dropping off the boys, he hated them a bit more now, said something about getting back at the queenie for taking their restaurant privileges away. The boy opted out of the extracurricular activity by saying he had a hot date, it was past ten, so the guys understood the urgency of him ditching.

He had his own thing he needed to do, with spray can in hand, Hargrove righted one wrong. By the time he return from being a good samaritan he knew he'd get shit in the morning about being out late. but as he parked Billy found himself crossing the street to where, Maddy stood scrubbing away at her garage door, her shoulders slumped and movements lazily as she struggled to stand.

"Queenie?" Her body tense and she covered up a sniffle with a cough before turning around. "What is it Hargrove, not open right now...bit busy." His head tilted at the messy spray of the remaining words Iller ttleton.

it was easy to imagine what had been there before she began erasing, Tommy wasn't the most creative

"need some help?" Dona furrowed her brows before nodding her head slowly. "Yeah....i mean...if you want..i'll give your money and the next bowl free...i just need to get this off before-""your dad sees it?" With a gulp and single nod the teen gave him a small to calm of a smile that he saw her panic rising up.

"Yeah...he's...been through enough-""yeah...so i've heard..." He fiddled with his feet before meeting Maddy's gaze and letting out a sigh. "Um...you don't have to pay me back for this, just consider it an investment, if i'm ever short but want a high, just remember this." his gentle soft smile made the ever pale teen's cheeks to heat up and she nodded once.

"Will do Billy lou, now um...take the other scrubber, i still have to do my homework." His brow raised and the boy rolled his eyes before taking a step next to her. He was on her left side, Billy didn't want to be tempted to stare at her wound as he scrubbed the words away causing them to smear down the wall like mascara, so he instead looked at her in this new light.

pale skin, almost glowing in the moonlight as her messy hair was pulled up in a loose bun, strands of hair fell and moved with Dona calling notice to her slender neck and the charm that hung on it, not wanting to stare there either, Hargrove kept to her face. Pink lips pressed together in concentration, Maddy's eyes were blank, though bags laid beneath them, she looked so sad, and older then she was.

He didn't like the way she had looked now, nor at the restaurant when she was on her hands and knees shaking in anger as her jeans got soaked in mop water while Tommy mocked her, Billy had seen that look before, in his mother. Within a moment he swallowed down those thoughts and knelt down to dip the scrubber and start on the second word.

"So that charm you got on your neck, what is it?" Her movement's stopped and in question she pouted her lips and absentmindedly twirled it about her fingers before answering. "It's a game piece, from D and D." 

He raised his brow. "what and What?"

A light, laugh lit up her face for a moment though much to his dismay, Maddy cut it off quickly and spoke once more in her quiet voice.

"Dungeons and Dragons, the game piece is a thief, does what it sounds like in the game, plus stealth, it was my brother's his friends gave it me.." Hargrove watched how her voice fell at the end of the sentence though her eyes never faltered or flinched. "..Your brother was a nerd." the words slipped and with a small coy smile the boy saw her break out into a smile muttering a lighter filled "shut up." before dropping her scrubber into the water causing water to splash all over him.

He jumped back and let his jaw drop in amazement as Mady bent and let out a laugh, it was muffled by her hand but the boy heard it. He stood up wiping his hands over his jeans before quickly tossing a discarded sponge at her and using the time she took to dodge it,to press the pale teen against the spray painted door.

Billy raised his brow holding her wrist gently above her head, her panic was there, but it was light, and quickly overcame with excitement...wait? Why was she excited?

"No more playing queenie?" Her cheeks were flushed and she sucked in a breath focusing on Hargrove as he sensed her panic and dropped her wrist, tilting his head in curiosity, before tucking her hair away, he was to close, she couldn't breathe, he was so close to her, and he smelled wonderful, felt wonderful.

No, this was Billy...the asshole, who hung out with tommy-and was here cleaning up with her...no he was an asshole...fuck

Their eyes stayed locked on one another as her hands, shakily, came down to rest on his chest, one her own was up against, she pushed slightly to give some comforting room though in response Billy smirked and leaned towards her, his head resting on the door next to Dona's head.

"Dona, i asked you a question, might want to answer it so we can get back to work." A noise left her, a soft gasp as his breath hit the shell of her ear. Billy tensed for a moment before smirking...was Queenie, into him, or just a virgin? perhaps both...he swallowed at the thought.

She was scared, but not in such a intense way, she was nervous..odd.

"No...no more playing. " Billy couldn't help it when he leaned in and inhaled the girl, before stepping back like nothing had happened. Maddy was frozen for a single moment with heart rapidly beating before she settled herself and turned back to the black paint and task at work.

Once she found her voice, Maddy spoke firmly. "Don't do that again billy..." His brow raised and he side eyed her. "Don't do what?" a scoff left the girl and she rolled her eyes settling her beating heart. 

"Personal space, it's something i need, so please stay out of mine-""you didn't seem to mind-""That doesn't matter, and if you didn't notice, i was kind of a bit shocked by your actions so sorry for the delay in me saying back the fuck off."

Hargrove snorted. "just trying to get us back on track you dumbass, think i actually would willingly touch that? I was defusing the situation Queenie." A hateful smirk painted on the girls lips though she was scolding herself for saying anything, at least then she would have been able to pretend, Maddy once again scolded herself this time for accepting his help.

This was all a game to him anyhow.

"Want to defuse the situation, how about next time, you just walk the fuck away, i didn't know a bit of mop water would be considered a situation...fucking milk drinker." His jaw clenched and the boy glared at her before dropping the scrubber. Billy had made it halfway down the driveway when he turned back around, he'd be mad at him too

"No, i'm not going to walk away queenie, not for you, but because your old man has gone through enough and he still has to deal with living with a psycho like you-" His uncaring though not angry tone was cut short by a hit, not slap, but a solid punch to his jaw that sent Billy whirling back a few steps, it was a good punch but his stumbling was mostly because he was surprised by Dona

He held his wounded jaw in shock, watching Maddy look down at her fist in confusion, she herself was honestly surprised by her actions

She hadn't hit Hargrove because he called her psycho, Dona was used to that from everyone else. The reaction came from Billy sympathizing with her sycophantic father, but that itself wasn't unusual, people asked after him and sent food with her home, even gave her messages to give to him (one's that she never delivered on), but for some reason Dona had forgotten that Billy didn't know the truth, that no one did.

The idea of him thinking about her dad as a sob story, made Maddy feel disgusted and pissed off, something that had happened almost twice tonight. She broke out of her thoughts with heated cheeks looking up at the boy,

"...um...sorry..that was...that was meant for Tommy." To her surprise, Billy had curled his lip up and smirked softly, almost proud like at her action.

"I'll be sure to give it to him...how about we get this finished up." With a soft questioning look in her eyes, she nodded sucking in her lip before going back to work.

Maybe Billy was...a friend?


	3. Chapter three- Breathing, one lungful at a time.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is dark...but there will be light...eventually.

They finished up with the clean up around two, Billy and her shared a smoke as she sat back against the side of the house, enjoying the small break and each other's company. The tension from the

"So where's your bike at princess?" Her metal eye's lazily met his and a soft shrug was the first half of her response as she tried to stay awake and not snap out of her peaceful haze.

"I don't leave it here...i leave it at school...it's safer there."

His brow raised and lips pouted, an action which was closely followed by her bag ridden gaze, now that looked good..that was the thought that made how sleep deprived she was, very apparent to herself.

"From Tommy?" A small smile and short nod, was what he got as Maddy inhaled and pushed away her dark thoughts.

"Well it seems like that's a long walk for you to have to take everyday..." He trailed off as the girl blinked in surprise and held up the cigarette to him realizing his tone was laced with concern, concerned meant she had to bit back with sarcasm.

Even half awake the girl knew that.

. "And?" Taking the item, Hargrove shrugged, voice switching back to his cocky flirting tone, just like she hoped it would.

"Just saying, you must got a set of some fucking legs on you...why do you cover them?" A light coughed out laugh came from the hooded eyed girl and she shrugged mockingly with just the same lack of care.

"I don't know, i'm pasty white and am too poor to afford sunscreen all the time. Why Willy, you wanna see them? Oh I just got goosebumps from the thought of it." His brows raised and wickedly his licked his lower lip enjoying her falsely sultry tone, and teasingly light gaze

"Don't worry doll, a lot of girls get that feeling around me..." At her scrunched up face the boy continued. "nah just curious about why- you all scarred up like that everywhere?" Her brow raised and watching his smoke drift away the girl shook her head slowly.

"Nope, haven't you seen my face, clean as a canvas." Hargrove was almost annoyed at her defense mechanism,though Mad shut him up by speaking once more almost entirely in a yawn.

"it's getting early... you need your beauty sleep." Billy helped her up and he held their interlocked hands between their warm bodies keeping Donna there, between the wall and him.

Her eyes stayed steady and slowly he leaned in to her, the girls lips parted to speak but he breathed into her, dropping the bud as he heard Maddy breathe in sharply, 0ut of surprise, taking in the smoke on accident.

As Hargrove pulled back he watched the silver of her eyes, be overtaken by black dilating pupils, Billy didn't know if it was from the smoke or him, but his hooded eyes found the sight memorizing.

While counting his eyelashes, Donna placed her free hand on Billy's chest keeping them this close, and far from one another. Feeling his heart strum hard beneath her finger tips, before Maddy turned her head, face pressed on the cool brick as she let out the cloud, unable to take his burrowing gaze any longer.

Hargrove almost growled in anger, at the loss of her amazed eyes and inviting lips, he wanted nothing more than to slam himself against Maddy, with her legs wrapped about his waist as he took her. But Billy knew another punch would be given to him if he tried, and he did rather enjoy looking at her like this too, shy and breathing heavily because of him, knowing that Maddy wanted him too

"Sleep well queenie." He growled lightly, stroking his thumb over the soft skin on the back of her hand feeling her goosebumps arise at the action, before stepping back and disappearing across the street.

Donna bit back a whine as she watched his well shaped ass move away, hating how her insides stirred in want, this wasn't right, he was... Billy. With force like discipline she shook it off with her exhaustion, there was no way she'd be able to do her homework now, to tired and twisted to focus on anything.

That night she thrashed about with heated dreams which sour endings woke her up multiple times, they started out with the blue eyed boy or Jonathan, but they ended with her father or the black shadow of a creature being in the boys place. The last time she awoke with heart pounding and body slick with fear, it was six, she had gotten less than four hours of nerve wracking rest.

But even so, early was good, early meant she could sneak off to the bathroom and shower, then have enough time to race into her room relocking it and starting up on her homework. Maddy just hoped she didn't have to deal with racing against her dad to lock herself in.

So undoing the padlock, she snuck into the bathroom with products gripped to her chest as she tiptoed across the carpeted hallway. Her body felt cold and hot from the nervous experience of trying to shower at her own house, it was an odd sensation she didn't find enjoyable in the least. 

Not with the the sweat stuck to her skin making the girl itch like she had bugs underneath her flesh. It was always like this with those fucking nightmares..not even her unconscious mind let her rest from her horrible reality. Maddy felt her head throb with this exhaustion, being on edge all the time really took it out of her. Like she was always walking that tightrope, eventually she was going to lose her balance and fall.

As she stripped and peeled away the clothes, tossing them away like they had lice on them, Maddy avoided her reflection, she knew what she would see. She had spent the summer hiding out at the Byers and Joyce had been forcing the girl into her old high schools outfits. 

The number of times she had stood before the full length mirror and memorized her wounds, was countless...seeing the newest wound from her dad wouldn't help Donna any.

The water felt nice, though her persistent scrubbing which, bordered on obsessive. was making her skin red, almost all of her was beat red though not her left arm, the one thing she had left alone and was oddly pale against the pink rest of her. Mad left that alone, even feeling unclean, she knew one wrong movement over her arm and she would have collapsed onto her knees in pain, Maddy did her best to avoid it.

Avoid it like all of her dark thoughts and ever sad reality.

Numb was better, though Billy was slowly getting to her, causing spurs of tingles appear, something, that not even Byers had managed to do. It was odd, but to her twisted mind it made sense, maybe because he wasn't sweet, and gentle, because as much as Donna hated to admit it, she was no longer those things either, she hadn't been in a long while.

 

Billy's attention, unlike the twisted way she had been brought up to know sex, was animalistic and twisted in all the good ways, she could see his moves and how he would play out their interactions, he wasn't scary. 

...and maybe, maybe it was partially the way his ass looked in his jeans.

Not that he still didn't piss her off, but Maddy was relieved that she at least knew sex in the future may be enjoyed, or at least a possibility. Maybe it was just her fucked up brain coping with all of the stress she had carried with herself for the last four years, maybe Donna didn't even like billy

With her no longer smelling of somewhat sour milkshake and her hair dampened into oily looking locks, Maddy dried off her body and slipped on her clothes for the day. part of her was anxious to turn the knob, not knowing what could be waiting for her, him blacked out was what she wanted, but dona didn't hope for it like she had in the past.

Without further hesitation, she unlocked and turned the knob, only for her only fear to be waiting for her on the other side. Glassy eyes staring at her, cracked lips leering wickedly as her father pushed his way into the peach orange bathroom. With only mild whimpers, Donna counted the cracks in the ceiling, feeling as though she needed to scrub herself from the inside out, it got easier to fade out of it after awhile.

She was thirteen, it was three months after her mom killed herself, her father hadn't came home from work so with coat on, young Madonna marched out to the only bar in town. it's lights were out except for one and shivering, the girl could make out the silhouette of her father arguing animatedly with Hank, the bar keep someone the girl was getting very familiar with nowadays. 

"I need one for the road-""I've called your house five times now Phil, you're gonna sleep it off in the tank tonight, or you're gonna take my offer to sleep in the back room." Maddy scoffed and climbed up the creaky steps before pushing open the door.

Hank eyed her with wary pity as the young teen held out her hand for the keys. "I'll get him home-""Mad's darling, why...aren't you at school..." his drunken stance swayed ever more and as he tried to step towards her, Phil stumbled on to the bar instead.

The kind barkeep looked like he wanted to say no but the kids stern gaze, which reminded everyone of her mother, made him shake the thought off, he knew Donna could drive. it wouldn't be the first time she had dragged him out of the bar.

"Get him home okay-""stop serving him-""you know i can't." Her brow raised and rolling her eyes she took her father's arm and slung it over her shoulder. This was the fifth time since her mom died that she had to pick him up, sometimes Donna didn't even bother, he had a better time in the drunk tank, but CYFD said if he had to many times in, Maddy would get taken away. 

He was the only family she had left though. So, most of the time she'd make the march, get him from hank, the cops before they put him in their car, or turn him over at their house when he continued the binge and ended up almost choking on his vomit. 

He'd become her dad again, soon enough, and not the drunk that she had to clean up after. They'd gather up the pieces of themselves, and become a family, it'd just take time...it'd just take time. 

Billy awoke with head throbbing as his father yelled at him to get up, max's annoyingly loud footsteps clattered about the wooden floor and Hargrove rolled his eyes tiredly. how could someone so small be so loud.Think of the devil there she was pulling open his door. "You gotta get up-" her words, and head were silenced by his pillow being flung towards the doorway as he sat up.

The air in his room had the hint of the still stale cow patties, not even with window shut did it disappear.

He hated this place, and he hated Max. Hargrove's vision was blurred, as the teen was sure that he was still asleep the weight of the morning didn't lay on him, though with sluggish movements he did sway awake. With only a moment of enjoying the warmth of his room, the boy stood almost zombielike, off of his bed and agonizingly stretched his arms to awaken himself a bit.

With head tilted as he prepared for a yawn cracking his neck, Billy noticed Maddy walking out of her house, looking as cold and exhausted as ever. He moved over to the window scratching his V line as he smiled. No matter with only four and a half hours of sleep, she didn't change.

Well almost, there was a difference, which came in the fact that her eyes were glassy, not in the good haze like way, but in the way that she could have been moments away from crying. With a sudden realization, not of anything of more importance, then the fact that his neighbor was leaving to school already he shot up straight.

With panic he looked at his clock, it was only forty five minutes after six, the fuck was wrong with that girl? school started at eight. He ignored it finding himself mostly awake due to the false small scare He had gotten. Billy decided not to stall anymore and head off for a most needed shower. He caught himself faltering and looking over his shoulder, almost worrying towards the house across the street, just as the black and white figure of Maddy had left his window's view.

She'd be fine, probably just realized she owed him a bowl for free. The thought wasn't a strong or even reasonable argument, but Hargrove took it knowing, he couldn't have cared less about her. At least that is what he was telling himself.

At school Billy sat on the trunk of his car, with paul and Tommy to his sides as a few, pretty, but very small town, girls swarmed about for his attention, the air still had that buzz of whispers about him, which Billy did enjoy, for the most part. He had to take advantage of the rumors so he could become king of this shit hole. It was something for him to do.

His eyes met the Byers car, he was unsurprised to see the puny twerp, his step sis was hanging out with already, racing out, but what did catch his attention was Maddy following on after him. He thought she had already gone inside, but not only hadn't she, the girl was later then him despite having left earlier.

Odd. A small twinge of jealousy went through him as he watched the weirdo light her cigarette and put his arm around her shoulder, as her hands shook. Now that was bothering Hargrove, Donna's hands never shook, not unless she was in pain...yesterday with the bowl and pipe, and the house scrubbing, she had been solid, steady with every movements, it was a small, but noted, difference.

Now the girl looked tired..er, way more then she did yesterday, not only that but her metal gaze could not be found on anyone as she attempted to smile at something her friend had said. "Maddy sure looks like shit...more then usual, probably had a late night, right Billy?"

Tommy broke out the boy from his thoughts and he nodded his head lips twitching in his own fake smile. "Probably summoning demons or some shit." He murmured halfheartedly looking over the nearest girl to him before glancing over Donna happening to catch that soft voice she used when she lied to the cops and insulted his male groupies, as tommy next to him once again went on about the crazy weed queen.

His friends had a huge thing for the girlie, but they were too stupid to try and go and get her.

"No..i'm fine, i'm fine, it was just something I ate..i should go and wash off my shoes actually....Tell steve and Nancy I said hello." Byers next to her kissed the girls forehead and as he patted her back, Maddy flinched in surprise. Billy didn't know why he was staring and decided to look and inhale his wanting away.

Somehow he found his feet doing just the opposite of that, following her with little care about the stares...she was really fucking this up for him "Where you going Hargrove-""To make sure we have party favors on Thursday, you want to have to pay forty or would you rather I talk her down a bit..." the girl didn't seem to notice and pushed through the crowd with little issue heading straight to the ladies room

 

Maddy had walked almost the entire way to the Byer's house before he pulled to the side of the road next to her looking beyond shocked of her appearance.

"You okay Donny?" Her eyes met his, her feet had just taken her away towards his house and the girl found herself seeking comfort in the cold air around her swaying slightly in its breeze before answering her friend with a lie.

"Yeah, I just got up early, thought i'd get a start up on heading out to school...didn't mean to give you guys a fright, must have spaced out." Jonathan furrowed his brows, looking over the girl in worry, before turning off the car and heading towards her. His lips were pursed, he knew something was wrong, everything was wrong, her lie had been a slip up the school was way closer to her house then his was.

"Donny...you don't look okay, are you feeling alright? You're sweating" Her eyes tried to blink away the tears she had shed earlier and with a tense knot in her stomach, she nodded slowly, before promptly reeling over and emptying her stomach onto the gravel. Byer's was there by her side in a moment, hand holding her hair back and other one rubbing Maddie's back.

Each gulp of air made this mornings happening all the more prominent, she wanted to sob into her friends shoulder, have him hold her close, until everything stopped feeling so impossible or she stopped feeling entirely, but Maddy didn't. Instead, her smile came easy and the girl stood thankful that Will had came to her side and handed Donna a bottle of water so she could rinse out the acidic taste from her mouth.

After she had, the woman blushed slightly and looked over at the brothers shyly, Maddy was beyond embarrassed that they had seen her in this state. She was usually much more composed. "Thanks you two...we should start to head out right?" Jonathan looked like he wanted to talk but gave into silence, at the sight of her pleading soft eyes. it'd be better if they didn't talk in front of Will anyhow.

"Yeah...don't want to be late, come on." Maddy let out a breath and settled in the middle seat finding herself leaning into the older Byers boy as she desperately wished to drift back to sleep. he smelled like...well it was hard to describe. He just smelled like Jonathan, and it was like home to Littleton.

So Donna didn't feel to bad, or worried, at least not about him. She felt horrendous everywhere, and worried about Gym class, there was no way in hell she'd be able to even do laps with the amount of soreness going about her at the moment. When they did get to school, Will made himself scarce and Donna immediately went out of the car to light her cigarette, but sighed when she saw that she couldn't

"Fuck....John you mind?" He shook his head almost amused, but to worried to actually be tickled by her addiction. Sitting down next to her and taking the lighter from her, Jonatha leaned close to get the flame beneath the unlit cherry.

Maddy felt her cheeks heating at his closeness and scolded herself for the hundredth time for looking at him like she did, but even with the pain she felt, Mad couldn't stop herself. he was her lois lane

"So you're okay right? Because it really didn't seem like it" With strained smile Donny nodded, and to avoid his gaze, she stared at her taped up shoes. The girl decided to think about stealing some of her moms, even if they were a bit tight on her, rather than dwell on her life

"No, I'm fine... i'm fine..it's probably just something I ate. I should go and wash off my boots actually don't want them to stink up the class, tell Steve and Nanc I said hello." Jonathan with worried eyes pressed his lips to her head, they were soft unsurprisingly and he then patted her back causing her bruising shoulder to cry in protest, Maddy didn't catch herself in time to not wince which made his brow raise.

"Arm's acting up..." with one last nod he squeezed her hand, she knew Byers wasn't believing her but it didn't matter right now, Maddy felt disgusting and tired

Without another word, she forced herself to leave him behind, knowing that later on today he'd ask her about it and Maddy would be forced to answer him. She had all the time in the world right now, to come up with better explanation for her actions, Donna wouldn't have him until third period

But for now, she had to focus on this, slipping into a stall and locking the door, Maddy pulled out her birth control and popped in the small pill before dry swallowing it with a lung full of smoke. Donna let herself breathe, shakily hateful sucking in air which stung her ribs.

Everything about her hurt, so much.

A knock on the stall door she was leaning against, caused Maddy to jump and let out a string of cusses at the pain that followed. "Hey there Weedy." A voice came, Billy's voice to be exact. Great this is exactly what she needed.

"Go away Hargrove, i'm about to drop a doos-""Thought you were cleaning vomit off your shoes-"

"You stalking me now? I don't believe I was talking to you when I said that." She could almost feel him smile as he shifted against the tile, a small squeak sounding out on the tile, gave her the notion that he was moving.

"Now why would I do that?" Her brow raised as she peered through the cracks to get a glimpse of his never fully buttoned shirt, how was he not getting frostbite.

"I don't know, but I doubt your frequent the girls bathrooms without someone's hand slipping beneath each other clothes" A light chuckle came from him which made Donna swallow and blush, despite how shitty she was feeling, his laugh was still nice.

"Well, we can make that true as shit Queenie, so how about you come on out of there-" It was Maddy's turn to have a laugh escape, though, she found herself wincing as her ribs ached, Donna doubted Hargrove had that issue.

A groan left her and Billy's boots scraped against the floor once again. She leaned against the side of the stall and sucked in air closing her eyes as her ribs shook. When her teary eyes opened there he was, looking over the wall, as though he had stood on the toilet on the other side of the wall to check up on her.

It was almost sweet. Billy did look worried and as quickly as she could, the girl stood up and blinked away her tears before meeting his intense blue gaze.

"Perv, could have been pissing for all you knew." He chuckled and shook his head eyeing her with those eyes which made Maddy want to shift out of its view. Donna was trapped though, even if she wasn't, she was far too stubborn to show him more weakness.

"Well, then i'd have something at least interesting to look at-""You say the sweetest things," Her hoarse reply came and Hargrove shrugged cockily eyes still piercing through her. "Thanks, I do try suger." Another eye roll and the girl shrugged ignoring how sweet his voice sounded at the moment.

"Mind telling me what you're actually doing here, cause as nice as this has been, I don't really want to have to hear more people talking shit about me." Leaning his chin on his crossed arms the boy shrugged. "Got bored, thought i'd get high before heading to woodshop-"" Tell me, you do not have woodshop first period..." Her face filled with annoyance and Hargrove's broke into a smile.

Great he'd be partnered with her, he'd fuck it up, she needed this scholarship, and she needed her wooden model to ensure that the metal one would manage out just as evenly, and sell for the amount she needed.

"Oh lordy, someone out there loves me, come on, lets get blazed-""Nope, i'm not getting high before that class, it's my favorite and i'd rather not fuck up my project on a quick whim. You want to get high, we'll do it after class or after school, right now..." Holding her aching side slightly the girl took in a breath hiding her discomfort with a snort. "...you mind fucking off."

Faking a pout, his eyes turned into slits and he angry hopped down from the toilet and started off muttering something about her being a stupid bitch before the door shut behind him. Maddie took the opportunity to empty out her stomach once more and then remove her pants and flush away her...soiled...underwear.

Commando was better than having to walk around with that all day, zipping up and heading out of he restroom she found herself sinking into that numbing place that she had always enjoyed as her feet led her to the wood shop.

Billy sat with Mark, discussing something that sounded a lot like up skirt and bleachers, and Maddy ignored the boys, instead pulling out her sketches and miniature model from her assigned locker.

Mr. Robertson's came in with a wide smile seeing most of the class settled in and Donna already working in on her projects models final burn marks. He loved what he did, father worked at the lumber yard, expected him to do the same, but he had found his woodworking in a different way.

"Ah, you must be our newest student, have you ever done woodworking before?" Hargroves brows jumped like cheerleaders and he shook his head scoffing. "That would be a no.." The man grimace and saw Littleton already putting on her protective goggles and heading out to her work yard. The girls project was to big to fit inside so he let the trusted teen head out on her own to do it knowing she'd be safe.

"Well, i'll let my most experienced woodworker show you the basics, Littleton extra credit if you can, and Billy here can be able to help you set it up, so I don't see any reason why you could say no to this." Her silver eyes turned into slits and the girl rolled her eyes before nodding.

"Sure whatever, i'm not going to create a woodworker out of him though, so don't expect any miracles. " Hargrove almost smiled at her cool tone and shrugged his shoulders before standing up with goggles in hand, he followed Maddy. The rest of the class buzzed with talk and the two headed out into the chilly october air.

"So why do you get to work out here doll." She shrugged and pouted her lips. "Just lucky I guess, so what you're going to be doing is taking the bark off of these trunks, and i'm going to do my homework, I really just need the base of my sculpture finished and since you're here to help I don't see why that'd be a problem."

He immediately was pissed at her. "So you just get to sit there and I have to do the hard work?" Maddy shrugged her shoulders and pouted her lips. She was to tired for this shit

"We have some of the same classes, i'm guessing you haven't done them yet either? Bring them here, i'll pencil in the answers and you can write them over in your own handwriting, switching up the wording when necessary."

Billy shrugged and nodded his head, it was actually a great fucking deal. "Sounds fair, what do I have to do for the bark...removal." Tossing him a small tool, which looked like a paint removal scraper she went back to her homework.

"Put it between the main log and the bark and peel it off, I know it's tempting to use a big axe, and though it would be interesting to see that manly prowess of yours, it'll ruin the wood."He groaned at the sight of the small tool and seven large logs she was using for her base.

"Fine I guess i'll do this, here." His bag was tossed next to her and the girl pulled out his homework notebook snorting at the playboy he had in his backpack before beginning to write.

She was half way done with their homework when he finished with the third log. "So...you sure you know all of this stuff, because you aren't even doing the math on any of them, your writing down the work but I haven't seen you erase once on any of them.. so do you just have a cheat sheet or are you bull shitting it?"

Her brow raised and Maddy sat back pulling out one of her smokes as Billy mistruck and ended up with a splinter.

"Fucking shit-""Come here Billy, i'll get it out of you." Hargrove rolled his eyes and Donna sucked in a lungful, before passing him the cigarette and taking his wounded hand in hers and biting her lips as she attempted to focus on the wooden item.

Without a thought of who she was taking it from, she pulled it out with her teeth, lips solidly pressed against the boys skin, his eyes stayed there in shock as it ended so quickly. He thought it was just in his head, with the splinter spit out, Maddy took his smoke from between his lips and smirked.

"And neither,i'm just really good at what i'm doing," She stated giving him a half smile before writing down all of the crap that was necessary as every inch of her ached and Maddy began hating every breath she took in.

Billy watched her, her lips moving softly as she scribbled and copied down the numbers and words. "Yeah..I can see that, how were you able to focus over this while I was in the same room is kind of a miracle." Mad paused looking over at him for a single moment before cracking a small smile.

This is what John was able to do for her, it was nice that Billy was able to distract her like this as well.

"It's really not honey...your hands better, get back to work." He leaned back and shook his head resting for a moment before taking away her smoke. "You know, you never did tell me why you headed out earlier today."

"Me and John wanted to have sex, thought i'd jump to it, why? Are you stalking me?" Her dead panned expression and icy words made his smile stretch out even more, lazily, like a cat basking in the sun. He was getting used to her being this stone cold, but Billy knew maddy liked him, at least a little bit...even if she didn't Hargrove loved pissing her off

"Well, if you wanted a little morning pick me up, I am right across the street, and my attention would always be solely on you.." Her eyes left him and she continued to write down the work while a blush covered her cheeks.

"you're not my type..." Her blush faded and the girl looked over for a moment at him with brow raised as his words settled in.. "...would that be you making an exception, by you focusing on me, or are you hinting at something?" Maddy asked with a roll of her eyes while she stole away his smoke.

"It's obvious you like him...and it's also obvious he has a thing for King Harrington's girl-"There was a pause, where she felt his eyes go over her, looking for a twitch or some sort of movement. Maddy gave him nothing, knowing how to perfect the stillness of her face as she had been for the past two years. "-but of course, you already knew that, didn't you Queenie?"

Madonna turned with brow raised as she swallowed, her head pounded and she really couldn't care at the moment what anyone thought of her. 

"And your point is what? By me letting you get your dick wet everything in my small sad unimportant life will be fixed? and i won't have to think about how some guy likes me back...." A small laugh left her, that wasn't something that even mattered, not with the shit from last year, or the shit from before, Jonathan not liking her...it was so stupid and small, there were so many other things to be worried about. 

"....I don't think so, even though Jonathan has no interest in me, i'd rather know that and still care for him, then let you, a person who doesn't even like me, ever get even close to getting into my pants. "Hargrove noticed her breath shivering and shrugged knowing that he might have took a step too close to her nerve. 

In reality, her arm had prickled and dark shadows began to flutter under her eyelids, it had almost nothing to do with the boy in front of her.

"Well, like I said, it's not like i'd actually want to sleep with you, thought i'd do us all a public service to try and loosen you up." tossing away the but of her smoke the girl handed him back the papers and closed her eyes.

tears almost prickled at his words, she didn't know why either, billy wasn't someone she could see herself being with, she couldn't see herself being with anyone, maybe that was it..him saying it just hurt her.

A breath left her a content sigh of the welcoming numbness as she shut herself in.

"Glad you don't wanna, that'd make this little friend ship we have going a bit weird...Wanna get high." he didn't miss her already stuffing her things into her bag and her hands shaking as she did.

"i'll never say no to that darling."

They ended up by the backlot, where teachers barely patrolled and Maddy seemed to relax as she stopped her attempts at bowling the weed and instead pulled out of one of her many pockets, two blunts.

His lips pursed in enjoyment and worry, enjoyment for the blunts, worry for the fact that she was still shaking. "You were born here right?" With both in her mouth and lighter in hand with flame going, Donna nodded softly.

"That's a pity, you'd of fit right in back in cali," Her head shook slightly and she handed him the blunt before speaking. "I fit in fine right here-""No you don't, first thing I heard about you, besides the weed, is that you are the sorest thumb in these parts...and with the rumors...i'm not that fucking surprised."

Steel cold eyes went over him and Billy found himself wincing slightly. "Just....shut up...i'm to tired- shit, run." The boy turned his head for a moment and saw the security guard racing towards them, by the time he had turned Mad had already pulled open the door and he just caught sight of her taped up shoe.

"fuck me." Hargrove growled before following her, Maddy had been halfway to turn a corner by then and Billy was utterly shocked that she was as fast as she was with the condition she seemed to be in. Hargrove followed her only to see nothing and gulped heavily as he began to start off down the hall.

With in two steps he was pulled into darkness and almost sucker punched who ever had grabbed him before seeing her pale glowing skin with the small amount of light that came out from beneath the door. Maddy was breathing hard eyeing him warily as he slowly lowered his fist to his side. 

Her heart was pounding, not from the chase, but from Billy, Maddy was internally scolding herself for letting him in, this was her safe space, and now she was locked in alone. Tremors creeped up her body, this was a mistake she should push him out now, before it was to late. 

Maddy held a finger to her lip before pulling out her lighter once more and attempted to relight her blunt . Billy sighed taking the thing from her and stepping forward as he did it for the stubborn woman before him.

The flame illuminated the small sanctuary and he noticed the pink on her cheek and her chest moving up and down in excitement, unbeknownst to him, masking the girls fear. He stared at her lips for a moment before the flame died and all that remained was her blunt's cherry.

they stood close, warmth mixing as they waited for the bell to ring or guard to bang the door down, Maddy was waiting for him to jump towards her the shadowed feature no doubt revealing themselves to belong to her father and her sanctuary finally being ruined. 

"this is a nice place you have." Maddy looked away from him and switched on the lantern before taking up her spot on the bean bag. she was still pissed at him, but with her fear coursing through her from them being alone and confined space they shares, Maddy didn't think of her anger all that much

"it's alright..." he glanced at the books and photos, this was her home it seemed more like it than the house she lived in did. "It really is...well it's you darling...nice place, nice that you thought I was worthy enough to be allowed in."

Her brow raised as she lazily let out a cloud of smoke and hung her head upward staring at the ceiling, she almost saw a flash of him grabbing at her, and was now trying to ease the paranoia. "Well, it was that or trust you wouldn't blab on me to the teachers, and I really couldn't do just that right?" He looked at the photos behind her smiling softly as he fought off a grimace.

The photos were from Jonathan. Billy hated that she cared for him all that much, especially with the way that he had obviously pushed her to the side. "No you couldn't-" His eyes widened at the sight of her last name being on the spine of one of the books. "-Now, that right there is interesting, you write a book queenie?"

Mad's body tensed tighter though she made sure to glance over uncaringly as he picked it up. he looked at the back photo, a young woman, black curled hair and rosy cheeks stared back at him with an enduring smile.

"your mom was hot." Her shoulders shrugged and the girl warily watched him set it down before sliding down to sit as well near her feet while Maddy finished off her blunt. "So, what now?" the girl tilted her head and reached under the cabinet to pull out a deck of cards.

"we have a good hour before the bell rings, I doubt that i'll be sucking face with you anytime soon." Billy gave her an almost seductive look which made her look away in slight shame and annoyance, he faltered and watched her count out cards before handing five to him and doing the same for herself.

Quickly her demeanor changed, fear and hesitation gone, her hair was tied up and the girl's metalic eyes glinted as she straightened her back before flipping the top card. "Rumney have you played it?" He nodded once taking in a moment as he thought of his mom and him on the floor of their apartment before everything had gone to shit.

"Well then if you suck at it then it's your own fault," Maddy remarked sorting out her cards, pulling out one from the top before dropping down her triple four. "you say that so sweetly," Hargrove whispered gently as he glared down at his own hand, this was a lot better then working on some dumbass wood project.

They played for the hour and through out that the girl was actually having fun, something she hadn't been able to do fully for a long while. This- whatever it was- was nice. For a moment, a few she found herself being almost childish, competitive and purely in the moment with some emotions set free and shields down

The hour ended with her feeling better, having won two out of three of the games and Billy and her having bantered back and forth teasingly to one another. He laid back on her legs staring up at the ceiling as Maddy closed her eyes and uncaringly curled her fingers through his hair.

it wasn't sexual, at least she didn't mean it to be, Maddy was comfortable just her and him sitting here. An hour ago she had still hated him, still disliked him, Donna ached in every bone of her body and wanted nothing less than to crawl into a dark hole, but now, it was calmer, the after setting of a raging storm.

Billy being the storm had calmed his hot air and stopped putting on a show like he had done the night before. "Thanks by the way for last night, not only with the tip, but the garage door, it was nice of you." Her fingers stopped their motion as his blue eyes moved over to her.

"Not a problem, you needed help...it..it was nothing." her brow raised and she had gone to open her mouth when the bell rang. Billy quickly stood feeling some odd tension in his stomach with bag in tow before he turned to offer her a hand up.

"I'm good where I am," Maddy stated curling her legs a bit closer to her while she tugged off her jacket. "May I ask why?" Billy questioned avoiding looking at the marked skin. "Well," The girl whispered noticing his obvious avoidance of her wound. " I am going to skip today and sleep in." Hargrove was almost impressed by this.

"I'll leave you to it.." Giving him a faint nod, Littleton laid back and gave him a soft wave. "that you will."

The rest of the day went by with nightmares, up until she woke up, lied to her teachers and picked up her work before b lining past Byers and heading over to the arcade. Of course he'd pop in and force her to talk, but it gave her the rides time to think.

"Donna, I need to talk to you-""I'm working-""Take a break." The group of boys stared at her with eyes wide before she and Jonathan looked over with a scold, causing them to turn away to their game.

"fine."

She pulled out a smoke hoping slightly that this one would be the one to kill her before looking over at Byers with brow raised. "what's going on?" He sent her the same expression pouting his lips almost worriedly as she lit up her smoke.

"I was going to ask that," The teen stated gently stepping towards her, she felt no fear and kept her face cold as she prepared herself to lie once again. "Nothing, I already told you that." Her eyes flashed slightly as a warning, one which Jonathan ignored.

"Don't lie, this isn't the first time that this has happened, is it your dad...is he okay? You weren't in any of our classes today, you know that you can tell me what's going on." Maddy clenched her jaw almost breaking the skin of the filter with the pain and anger she felt. of course if she was upset it had to be because of her father, who everyone thought Mads loved oh so much...

It could just be because she wasn't feeling well, because classes were getting to her, because her work became unsteady, because of anything else, no it always came down to her drunkard dad, who everyone here loved so much

"Nothings wrong with him or me okay?" her voice was harsh and Byers almost winced before she softened. 

"I am allowed to have bad days, I am allowed to be human without you smothering me," John's hand on Mad's arm made her tense though he didn't hurt her any, it was surprising to see this softness. to be touched in general made her feel uneasy but she pushed it back and settled her heart

"I am not trying to do that, I'm worried about you." Littleton touched his hand giving it a slight squeeze before exhaling. "I'm fine okay, Tommy and some of the boys came in with the new kid last night," She said calmly tilting her head as Byers stroked her hand kindly making a shiver go down her back, it wasn't the usual one, it was a chill, hateful, her wrist still were aching

"it just didn't end well and I ended up with spray paint on the garage. Again." Chewing on her lower lip and pulling back, Madonna looked over him for traces of that usual calming feeling she had got from him. "I...i also had some nightmares again last night..i'm fine."

Byers wrapped himself about her surprisingly and Littleton held her lit cigarette high before burying her face into his neck and accepting the small kindness that almost brought tears to her eyes. 

Ones which she shut away, in that door in the back of her mind, the door that was bulging inward leaking her nightmares and surpressed memories as Maddy tried to ignore it. This friendship was one of the best things she had ever had, it was the best thing she had now.

Hargrove watched her with a clenched jaw as Max climbed out. He thought it was pathetic, not her, never her, but the fact that Byers wasn't seeing how much Maddy was obviously into him, and he was still chasing after someone else. 

Nancy wheeler, he had seen her, soft edges and that sickening sweet demeanor, something King Steve and Freak geek Byers bought into. In Hargrove's opinion, she was just like everyone else, but it did seem as though the wheeler girl was slipping to the freak too, he wondered what wounded bird kind of hormones he had to be giving off with that ugly mug of his. 

Rolling his eyes in anger at himself and the byers, he peeled out of the lot and headed to where his very easy first date awaited him.

Maddy went through the motions of working with few customers coming in and the evening dying down to a slow period. One where she would be able to refill the salt and pepper shakers, after, of course, after she had taken away the dishes from the last departing customers dishes.

To add on to Mad's never ending bad luck, though it was something that was much less of a nuisance then most of her problems, Billy decided to come into the diner, with Pamela. 

She was a beautiful southern girl, who's breast were well known by the school's team football and other wise was at his side. From what they said, her breast were nice, but still a bit to overrated nowadays, Hargrove didn't seem to mind. 

He looked amused by Littleton, but not remotely interested by the blond as she smacked her glossed up lips together and strutted into the Diner, like the queen bee she tried to be in the small shit show of a town they lived in.

For a moment Maddy envied her small mind and petty issues. She wanted to trade with pam, to be that simple girl she would have been, and was in another world. That girl only caring about makeup, hair, boys, going home and worrying about her weight, worrying about prom, and how big her boobs were. 

Maddy for a moment, wanted to be the idiotic girl that stood before her, for a moment she didn't want to know about the otherside or how cruel life really was, but the moment passed and she sucked in air. 

though she wasn't that silly girl, a moment of insecurity went over her. The pale girl's own lips felt plain at the painted lips. Compared to Pam's put together and perfect outfit, Don's front was overly stained with the proof of her days labor. Maddy didn't know why, but she felt so out of her skin with Billy seeing her like this.

Mady had never really cared about how she looked before..it was weird her doubting wanting thoughts had got to her, because, it was just Billy. Donna had spent a good hour getting to know him and playing rummy that wasn't anything. Hell even her and El had played cards together.

Eleven meant a hell of a lot to Mad though

Donna internally scolded herself and focused on now, now was all she had, if Maddy thought of everyone she had lost, if littleton dared looked at the past, she'd never get back up.

So she focused on nothing. 

At the time that the couple had came in, two of her regulars had just checked out, leaving Martin, jack, and Fred, to be the only customers left.

She wouldn't be as busy as she wanted to be, and would be forced to talk to them. "You two have a seat anywhere, let me finish cleaning off these plates and i'll be right with you," Mad's own customer service voice made her wince as she strained to keep up the smile.

Her balancing act with the plates and half empty drinks seemed to entice the new kids attention more than his date's conversational skill did. Though that didn't stop Pam from pissing Maddy off "uh..i did not know she was still working here after last year I assumed..." With her still uncaring stance, Donna marched into the kitchen and cleared off the plates before setting them in the soaking container.

"so, he's new, kind of cute...lets try and get him to order the bacon burger with the hawkins sauce alright, he'll love it." A small laugh left Littleton as she shook her head at patty's mothering, she had this thing where she knew exactly what someone would want, somehow with the mess and him being in a group, Patty hadn't thought to try her powers on him then.

"Trish, no offense to your skill, but I don't think Hargrove could love anything hawkins." The woman's chocolate eyes fleeted over to the girl and she tutted Maddy gently before flipping the burger patty.

"Have some faith sugar." Mad's silver eyes rolled back and she had a small smirk on her face that she couldn't drop as she enter the main part of the diner. There they were, in the corner booth with Pam's perfectly bare back to her. With smile, cutlery and two menus, Donna headed over and did her job.

"Hello, welcome to Benny's, here are your menus, I hope that you two are having a wonderful evening so far, what can I interest you two in to drink to make it better." Pam snickered at the introduction, and Billy's face was nearly stretched out like taffy from the amuse grin he had put on, in his defense, he was fighting off laughter that would bring him into tears.

Pamilia frowned at him and shot her glare to Maddy as she slapped down her menu. "I would like a strawberry Milkshake, extra, extra strawberries.." The girls chocolate gaze moved over sensually to the boy who found his amusement faltering as he heard his date's tone of voice. "and a cherry on top." Donny had to hold off a scoff at the girls actions as she wrote down the order and turned to Hargrove.

"And what can I get for you sir?" He broke his stare and eyed the girl with glinting eyes. "I'll take a coke, light on the Ice, queenie." The ebony haired girl nodded her head and set down a single straw before going to the fountain drink machine to fill up Billy's drink and take Pam's milkshake glass to the back.

Once there the girl began to chop up the berrys, adding an order and a half into it before blending them together with Benny's homemade ice cream. "well they sure look friendly, she order cherry's?" Donna let rip a rib aching chuckle before nodding her head. This was a good hurt, a better hurt then she had felt in a long time. 

"That she did..." patty rolled her eyes before ringing the bell for Jacks order. With the shake done Donny plomped it into the cup before settling the cherry on top and slinking in the spoon.

They drinks were in both hands and Donna opened the kitchenette doors with a push of her hips before settling down on sight of the young couple who were now on the same side of the booth whispering dirty things to one another. 

The pale teen rolled her eyes with slight envy and quietly set their drinks before them so she could take jack his burger and then circle back to them once they were hopefully finished and ready to order.

They weren't and Maddy had to clear her throat in order to get them to separate from one another. Hargrove looked almost amused at her actions. "Well, I do hope you both have had the time to look over our menus, if not may I say that our own Trish has suggested the bacon burger with hawkins sauce on it." Billy scrunched up his nose and shook his head.

"Cheese burger and side of fries for me, Pam here would like...." He raised his brow in wonder and The ditzy girl took a moment to blink and break into a smile. "A salad, with grilled chicken.." Pouting her lips Maddy rolled her eyes and took the order,food was something to find joy in, a small inch of pity went in her as she scribbled down the sorry excuse for a meal.

"I'll be right back with that, call me over if you need me." Her jaw by the end of the night hurt from the amount of fake smiling she had to do. Maddy wasn't jealous though, Billy's taste in girls just was beyond cliche, she just hoped that he'd have a better one come in next time, one who ate at the least. 

Maddy walked back home ignoring her own pain as she always did, Billy saw her light on and it was still on as he drifted off to sleep. Littleton just took in her breaths one at a time, despite the pain, she just breathed


	4. Chapter Four- Gym class

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> so I know i said i'd do the halloween party, but i've been busy with work and everything, so i'm publishing the first part early, and it is kind of a filler, but does give some relationship growth between the two characters, i didn't want you guys to have to wait another few weeks for the chapter.

The next day went by faster with no morning instances and nothing to important happening with in or out of the classes. Though, the teacher reminded all the students that on friday they'd get their lab partners for the second semester of school, at least that was something new. 

Billy sent Madonna a promising wink  at the notion of them becoming partners and was pleasantly surprised to see her shrug, slightly uncaring as always, but not with the usual glare she him when he bothered her in class.

He smiled then gently, believing full heartedly that he was getting to her. Littleton on the other hand was a thousand miles away, her feet barely on the ground with her mind so far from what was going on in the real world. 

Maddy was at peace ignoring him and everyone else a bit more that day, though she came back to earth just long enough, to put on the sweet pleasantville facade for the teachers she was returning her work to. 

Besides faking it with her teachers, Maddy made sure that Johnathan knew that she was alright. It was a lie, but it had been a long while since it wasn't. Thankfully it had been far to long for the Byers to be able to tell the difference. 

Gym was the last one she went to. 

Her teacher told her it would have to be after school,  so she had to make up the work out while the basketball team was playing. It was bad, but also good for Maddy, because she could change in the locker room without worrying about anyone seeing her wounds. 

Donna stepped in and met the eyes of the coach who was looking over his clipboard like it was a playboy, it was a sad life the man must live to care so much about this stupid highschool team. 

"Ms. Littleton, heard you weren't feeling well yesterday, how about we take it easy on you and make you do thirtyfive laps and fifty five sit ups, after that you clean the bleachers, i'll have the wipes and bucket ready for you, do you think you can handle that?" Giving the man a half smile, which hurts her, she nods.

Donna made it to the locker room door when the boys side opened up and the Basketball team piled out, forcing the teen to have to stop in place and press herself against the wall. Tommy winked at her, his elbow intentionally pressing into her stomach as he passed by, her ribs bruised and hateful, made her wince.

Billy looked surprised to see her as she rolled her eyes and shoved passed him and the rest of the group. She didn't need this from him or any teens, it was all so stupid, none of it meant anything, and though hargrove had been nice, friendly even that didn't mean that he was a good guy. 

If he was he wouldn't have stayed hanging out with them. Yet here he was. 

Donna ignored the aching bruise which the jerk had irritated and marched into the empty girls locker room. Changing went fast and easy as there was no need to hide out in the stalls in order to not be poked upon. 

Her long sleeve sweatshirt and overly sized basketball shorts made her feel somewhat comfortable, but with her calves bare Maddy was worried about the boys noticing some of her bruises.  

There was just one that she really worried about, below her knee, it was big but an excuse could be made. Sweatpants had been Mad's usual wear, but her father had shredded the pair this last washing cycle. 

Donna didn't bother trying to buy another pair, not yet at the least, she still needed a place to keep them stored away. 

The game was already heated when she came in, Billy was slamming into Steven and racing passed him to make a shot. Part of her was impressed, but a better part of the girl was pissed that he was acting that way. 

Tying her hair up in a single smooth motion, Maddy began her laps, the sound of her foot falls was all she listened to as she made her way about the gym. No pain or iciness, Littleton found herself almost enjoying it.

It was a odd sort of isolation, being surrounded by  people though she was utterly separated from them by a clear bubble of her own thoughts, thoughts that for once, weren't dark. 

With in minutes she found herself without breath and slowed her pace. In the slowing of her pacing, her eyes went to the court and found Billy looking over at her, unhidenly staring at the girl. 

Maddy had no choice but to immediately notice that him and his team had lost their shirts, Billy was the most...impressive out of the lot, though Donna made sure that didn't stop her eye roll. 

Her eyes moved back in front of her and she continued on her way, rolling her eyes, at what seemed every five seconds, every time one of the boys, though mainly Billy , called Harrington, King Steve. 

A gaggle of girls had appeared just before Madonna had finished her laps, they were almost oblivious of her, their eyes seemed stuck on one particular player.  She did her best to ignore them, with a light sweat coating her skin, she saw Steve chugging a cup of water and glaring at the ground before him.

Maddy walked up to him elbowing the boy playfully, hoping at least one of them would start to enjoy this holiday. 

"you doing alright there Stevie? your hairs actually deflated a bit," A panicked look went over his eyes and his fingers went to touch his miracle locks but stopped and Maddy's bemused gaze. "I really can't believe you fell for that right now Harrington." He smirked glaring playfully at the tinted faced teen, she even got a smile from him.

"Had a rough day what can i tell you?" Maddy shrugged and took the cup from him before refilling it for herself. "I don't know something interesting maybe?" Her brow raised and Harrington went to speak before his smirk fell and Littleton could feel the hair pick up behind her neck. 

"Well hello there Queenie you having a meet and greet with the king here?" Donna's silver eyes rolled and  the girl chugged the water before giving Steve a small smile and walking away to do her sit ups. 

She didn't bother saying anything to Billy, but did looked back and winked at Hargroves disgruntled expression. He was a friend she didn't want to hurt Billy, but it was nice teasing him. it was almost fun, but mainly for Mads it was just amusing

Maddy did her sit ups, slowly trying not to strain her shoulder as she pulled herself up each time.

Halfway through she noted a figure approaching her, Donna continued to go back down onto her back despite the possible intrusion. When she sat up, her body panicked and made her fall straight back onto the wooden floor, head slamming against wood. 

Hargrove chuckled and watched her amusingly as Maddy sat back up with eyes glaring. "Seriously?" The girl asked with brow raised as she rubbed the back of her head. 

"Yeah...i was just walking, coming over to check up on a fellow student, you see maddy this is why you shouldn't be skipping classes, you could be off at the arcade snogging your Byers boy right now if you hadn't," Her brow raised and then rolled her eyes

"it's my day off," Billy's lip twitched with slight annoyance before he put on his charming smile and knelt before her. 

"So you only snog Byers if its a work day, got to say there are some underlying psychological tidbits right there, maybe you really don't want to make out with him." 

She wrapped her arms around her knees glaring at Hargrove before snorting out a scoff, still ignoring how the glistening of sweat highlighted his already noticeable muscling. 

"Can you please use another word, Snogging?! Seriously, who the fuck do you think you are, John Lennon?" His face scrunched up and Maddy wasn't surprised he didn't like the beatles, though part of her was relieved  he had at least knew about them.

"And I don't want to snog Jonathan at all, and if i did, i wouldn't fucking schedule it like some nut bag like you woul-what are you doing, let go of me." He had placed his hands seemingly innocently on the back of Donna's calves causing her to stumble lightly with her sentence and fall quiet trying to cut away her embarrassment. 

She tensed eyes widening as he looked over her utterly amused by her lack of composure, the girl's hair was a mess, sticking out from all ends and blocking part of her left eyes sight by sticking on her red sweated cheek.

Maddy was a bit red from the exercant of running, but her wide eyes made it seem like she was in a horror movie. It was the most human reaction he had gotten from Littleton, topping the one billy had received the day before, this time she looked weak as she had, with the added touch of her showing color. 

Though this one did not top the thrash that they had against the house wall, for obvious reasons which included his ability to twist her appearance from then, easily into one of the bedroom. This instance of human emotion slipping through Maddy, did have its perks, he now confirmed how soft her skin was, but now she looked afraid. 

Hargrove moved them down her calves and sent her a almost shy smile. "I'll spot you. okay." It wasn't a question and as he kept his hands on the tips of her shoes, Maddy rolled her eyes turning back into stone. 

"whatever." 

His hands moved up as he idly chatted to her and looked over his shoulders to check on how the other boys water break was going, so they wouldn't see the two. Billy was checking to see if they were on their way back. 

"so...you going to the Halloween party tonight at Tina's, or do you have a virgin geek with a camera to sacrifice?" Hargrove asked smoothly raising his brows and eyeing the sweated shirt which sweetly stuck to her waist and breast. 

He really needed to control himself, so his eyes quickly moved back to her face, seeing her staring up at the ceiling looking almost amused and normal as she blew out a soft breath of air to get the bangs out of her face. "Can't live without me can you Billy?" Her voice went husk and ended breathily at the boys name. 

"Just wondering where the weed will be tonight, and hell seeing you at a party might just be the closest thing to a christmas miracle any of us will get this year!" Maddy pulled herself to the up position rather quickly, surprising the boy and making the two end up nose to nose looking into eachothers eyes. 

"Miracles don't happen, and if they did, i sure as hell hope you would wish for something better than that." Her eyes went over him, scanning the tanned skin and gentle gaze he gave her. It was nice. 

" I am going by the way, just because it's good business...there's no other reason, not because of you, the other kids, or the alcohol, so it better just be the weed your after, i'm warning you if it's for anything else you will be disappointed." her whisper and small lip quirk made his own part slightly. 

Her eyes were so dark and beautiful, Maddy had a storm at sea hidden within her, Hargrove saw it for the first time. Billy wanted to drown in the grey lightening that lived in her silver gems. Instead of saying any of that, or moving closer to taste her, Hargrove did what he did best and ruined the moment by opening his mouth. 

"you know...if you're mad at me about last night you can just go ahead and say it, don't have to act so cold Queenie, this isn't the kind of game I like to play." His hand went up and he caressed her leg with his thumb. Billy was trying to entice her to show a flicker of shame or wanting, just anything, but instead he had gone over the bruise. 

The moment was once again ruined and she scrunched up her face before leaning back and rolling her eyes. "Why on earth would I be mad about last night? You tipped well." Her stinging smile made him tilt his head before pulling back and rolling his eyes, Why did Mad have to make everything so difficult.

He didn't even bother to notice the bruise she was hiding. 

Maddy didn't know how to feel about that, but didn't let her wavering gladness be shown as she blankly stared at the boy until he decided to up and leave to go and flirt with the group of girls. 

They were dying for attention, they could have it.

Pushing passed any uncertain thoughts of the stupid boy she had hardly known, she finished the last few sit ups and forced herself to march up to the top of the bleachers. It would be a good half hour until jonathan would pick her up so she could get ready for trick or treating and for the party. 

Donna didn't even know why she thought Billy would be a nice person, he was using her for weed and a few passing grades, nothing else. Maddy could see that, but she still was letting him get under her skin. 

Maybe Donna was a bigger idiot than her father thought she was, but she would never...well she had just toyed with the thought that he was right. Hadn't she?

That thought made her shiver.

Thinking of that monster, thinking of him, being right...it was sickening. Tears stung her and ever so slowly she let them venture back into her corneas. It was nothing worth crying over. 

Was anything though? Littleton couldn't think of the last time she had actually cried, without Donna forcing them back, or without them being from a nightmare of her sleep. It had been far to long.

Maddy scrubbed the bleachers with an unwounded hand and hatefully blocked out the noises surrounding her, ever so carefully not letting in the darking tendrils enter her mind. The girl could imagine what would happen if she was to see the creature, how people would react to her swinging at nothing. 

A sneer rested on her lips as she thought of it. Firstly it was just on how silly Donny would look, and secondly how foolish this life was, how silly everyones problems were. Even her own world shifting issues, were nothing compared  to that hidden darkness across the thin veil. 

Maddy but couldn't bother with it, she couldn't think about it, just as she couldn't think of so much else. Everything, even just bits of that everything, surrounding her, was to much for her to let in.

With the small thought interrupting her focus, her hand slipped and Donna had to catch herself on the scarred limb. Her weight caused another tremor to move in and a gasp left her, pain rippled and she buckled beneath her own weight causing her knees so crash into the plastic, loudly. 

She couldn't stop the shaking and instead pulled it to her chest as the girl counted out her breaths. "Littleton, what's wrong?" The pale girl shook her head trying to let a smile pull up on her face for the coach to see. 

"Nu...n..nothing, just slipped a bit, i'm fine." Her voice trembled, and rolling her eyes Maddy tried to correct herself, though she couldn't. 

For the first time in..well ever, Donny couldn't stop her limb or voice from shaking. The girl looked over towards the court trying to find something to focus on only to meet the Icy gaze of Billy, he looked, concerned. 

It flickered away quickly into that smug anger, for a moment she wondered why and then Maddy was suddenly aware of Harrington racing up the stairs to her aid. "Hey, Donny, seems like you need a hand, i'll take you to the nurses station." Mad's smiled slightly though winced as he helped pull her up and slung an arm over her protectively marching down the bleachers with her in tow.

"Woah there Stevie, what would Nancy say if she saw you moving in on the Killer? Does this mean that she's free for the taking!" Tommy shouted out through cupped hands and most of the basketball team hollered at her. 

"Hey, knock that off! Tommy, William's twenty laps around the school, now. Get to it!" The gym fell silent and Maddy could feel the familiar eyes on her as she gripped her limb to her chest, her vision slipping away from the pain. 

Instead of looking back as they moved closer to the Gym's exit, the teen buried herself more into the man's side, to hide from the boy's stare, to find warmth in the ever freezing air.

Even doing this, Maddy felt nothing for young Harrington, it was just Steven, not a friend, not an enemy, just him. The sweet guy, who was growing to become a great man.

She could see it, even before this year. 

Maddy noticed it, back with Barbara and Eleven and all of it. He'd get out of this town, even if she didn't, even if she did, he'd do more than Maddy could. Hell maybe he'd change the world, all of it, or just one child's.

Donna could tell that from a mile away, this strange kind king of nothing, who had almost everything, would do amazing things. 

"Steve, maddy, you guys alright?"Maddy's thoughts were broken down by the outside voice, all thoughts of the teen boy she didn't know drifted into nothing. And Donny found herself questioning those thoughts.

Why was she thinking of all these unimportant people with such reverence? Steven for all people? Really? Next it'd be Nancy or Pamela. Not that she hadn't already done that last night, by wanting to switch lives with the girl. 

Thinking so deeply about the golden boy achieving, as he obviously would, was pathetic. 

Littleton knew this.

Donna felt  the arm on her loosen for a moment and she leaned on the wall, to give the couple space.  She gave a weak smile to the wheeler girl, who stood proudly, though had worry written on her face as she straightened out her wool white sweater. 

"Everything's fine, you and Steve should get going, like i said...I'm fine." Harrington raised a brow looking almost concerned at the paled girl.  Nancy flickered her eyes between the two with pursed lips, that same jealous look, she had given when jonathan had been near Mad, decorating her features. Was she always going to be like this? 

The girl shrugged her shoulder and painted the pain up with a nose scrunch, playing the naive and sweet friend that they thought her to be.  "Go on, i know you two are dying to go and make out with one another, don't let me stop you." Maddy managed to stand and give them a small wave before walking off, arm cramping and raging all the way. 

It wasn't the worse she had, it wasn't, but with bruised ribs and healing clavicle, Donny didn't feel like putting on a front...and she knew that soon enough her wound wouldn't let her. Littleton settled in the first ladies room she could find and repeatedly made a fist before giving up and pulling out two pills from her pocket.

it was almost better than the weed, plus side hitting her fast and not making her sleepy, downside being it made her feel weak. 

Donna  took them dryly, letting out a breath of pain, counting her breaths once more she found herself  at that numbness that she so enjoyed. With in a moment, Maddy hated herself a bit more. 

She was to much like someone else, someone worse than her father, someone worse then the creature that haunted her waking dreams. 

Taking pills to numb herself, Donna knew, she was becoming, or was already just like her mother. 

The pills moved into her and a haze arose clouding her thoughts as she made it back to the gym to change back into her school clothes, the boys were nowhere to be seen and the gang of girls were gone. Her arm wasn't throbbing anymore and hazily the teen entered the changing room, she almost felt happy.  

Donna stopped and furrowed her brows bemusingly as she listened to the hushed whispered and light giggling. "...mmhm..Billy..we can't do this here." The girl didn't sound like she was saying no though, quite the opposite in fact. 

Littleton knew she had to go in and get her clothes and she had to do it now rather than later. 

Walking in with a grimace  already appearing at what was to come, she saw Hargrove above a ginger girl on the locker room bench. The teen's skirt was hitched up and one of Billy's hands had disappeared beneath it. 

Maddy let out a sigh which was almost a laugh, though the couple hadn't noticed it since they were being so loud. With a wicked drug induced thought, Donna pulled down her hair and shot the band at Billy's bar shoulder. 

He tensed, the girl beneath him did to, and Littleton smirked wildly with demon like glee, she wanted to see what they would do now. 

"Hargrove, Jensworth, you two mind not screwing in front of my locker, I have shit to do, and that includes getting dressed and changing," Hargrove at the least seemed to find this amusing and let his hand reamurse from the girls legs, apparently he would have been more scared if it had been a teacher to find him

"..No offense, but i'd rather be the only one in here without my clothes on, so would you kindly fuck off" Billy suddenly let out a laugh and he pushed himself off the red faced teen, who laid frozen in panic induced fear against the wooden bench. 

Poor Sammy, probably thought Littleton was going to eat up their guts for lunch, or worse tell the teachers about their preachers daughter little meet up with the sinner boy from Cali. Mads felt for the kid.

"Maddy, is that you? Was just thinking about you queenie... you do come... at the oddest times, not that i'm complaining." There was an amused sound to his singing voice, which made littleton scoff, though the meaning of the words were flown over her pilled up mind. 

Samantha, seemingly unamused by the Hargrove's sense of humor, stood turning redder than her hair. She tried to freshen up her appearance, though gave up rather quickly, before marching off giving both Billy and Madd  distasteful glares. 

Donny raised her brow almost shocked by the nice girls temper tantrum. It really wasn't like maddy was doing anything, and they had to know she would come back for her clothes at some point

Billy ran his fingers through his hair, still smiling into his lap, before he decided to situate his  issue in his shorts and then promptly picked up Donna's hair tie from the floor. 

Mad stood there with arms crossed looking over at the heavily breathing boy, who gave her a glinting side glance, smirking under her bored expression. She was so glad that the pills didn't affect her ability to hide her emotions.

Why did he had have to look so cute, with his  blond highlighted strands of hair falling over his eye and the light pout he had in pink lips. Her brow simply raised at the small want or envy filling her just before she bit the inner part of her lower lip. 

"You going to go after her or do you just want to sit here?" He blinked and held up the black ring of rubber. 

"Thought you'd like this back, Queenie, and no, i wasn't planning on it." Hargrove's smile widened just before he wiped away the plum pink tint that had been exchanged during his friendly rondivo, from his lips with the pad of his thumb.

"Well, that's a pity Samantha's a really sweet girl.." There was no malice or humor in Maddy's voice, she truly meant it, though she was really impatient for him to leave, of course, instead, he laid back on his elbows and shrugged at the girls statement. 

Donna raised her brow, Hargrove simply smirked in response. He really was an asshole."Unless you forgot, I just finished tasting Samantha, she wasn't that sweet..." A small chuckle left him and a blush decorated her cheeks at the flash of the two coupling. Maybe she shouldn't have taken the pills..billy was a strutting bad idea

"That was to much information." The girl muttered gently rolling her eyes and figuring that it would be a lot faster just to change in one of the stalls rather then wait for him to get out. Billy seemed to be getting more comfortable where he laid back. 

Maddy walked up to her locker ignoring the boys obvious stare before turning the combo and gathering her clothes into her arms. She could feel him behind her, he had stood, the hazed feeling of self loathing and fear tickled her neck. 

Swallowing it down, and remembering who it was, Donny turned and put on her unamused expression as he looked down at her with bemused smugness. "Well...you did ask." Littleton watched Billy with a glare as he lifted a hand to tuck her hair away from her face, and ever so slowly stroked her cheek. 

She caught his wrist and stopped the movement midair. "I...I didn't...I made a statement." Mads knew she was blushing.

He tilted his head, a bead of sweat making its way down his temple as he watched Donny. Her thoughts were whirling about in her blender of a brain.

This inescapable gaze, the one he always gave her, it was inescapable in a different way than her fathers gaze was, it was one she didn't mind being in. If Billy looked at all the girls like this she really couldn't blame them for falling for his tricks.

Mad pushed his hand away and let a smirk paint her lips, she decided that she really should have held back on the pills. "Also, don't try touching me with the hand you just had up some girls skirt. It's cheap and kind of insulting." He chuckled, though winced at the thought that he had pushed his ruined fingers through his own hair. 

Hargrove would have to shower for a completely different reason now.

Donna moved past him snorting at the gross filled look that overtook his features before she locked herself into one of the familiar stalls and changed out of her gym clothes. She winced slightly  at the strain it took to remove her shirt before settling back against the wall. 

Her fingers pressed on the purpling swell as she tried to count her ribs to see if they were in tack. Mad sucked her breath in before fully pulling the sweater over her head. The sound of billy turning on the sink made her pause as she pulled her hair out from the top. 

"I want you to know, Maddy, I didn't mean to try and insult you...i was actually trying to be sweet if that's believable. " her brow raised as she slipped off her shorts and eyed the bruising decorating her thighs. 

"It's not but i appreciate the effort of lying." Each of them had different levels of healing, each had the similar shape of her father's hand, with the blurred vision she had they looked almost beautiful smeared together by that one artists night sky. 

Her voice had been soft and light spoken as she observed the wounds. Each yellowing, black is mark on her pale skin mimicked paint splattered on the canvas. A knock managed to break her from her thoughts and looking up from where she sat, Donny almost thought she'd see him peering over the stalls wall. 

Thankfully, he wasn't there though, instead she saw his boots shadow on the other side of the door. "You busy in there?" Donny stood quickly and pulled up her pants before pushing the door open causing Hargrove to stumble back. 

Maddy raised her brow pursing her lips together with that small smile  "Why? you still can't live without me billy?" He moved his gaze over her as she zipped up her pants and tilted her head at him cockily. 

"Well no, but that was a good guess. I got a bit worried my drug dealer might of died in there." Donny didn't bother with a response at first before she smiled and held out her unburdened hand. "That's sweet of you, but I'm, as you can see, fine as usual." The girl looked over him blushing lightly as she observed his tanned skin before raising her brow and glancing down at the empty palm expectantly 

"But i do need my hair tie back, if you wouldn't mind." Billy moved closer his hand going up to her cheek, stopping just before she could. "I washed them. Don't worry." she smirked and let him tug up the loose locks before horribly pulling all of her knotted tendrils into a low hanging bun.

"thanks, you absolutely have no idea how to do hair though." Maddy stated giggling lightly as she caught her reflection and nudged Hargrove gently at the light blush on his cheeks. "It means a lot that you tried though.” 

Hargrove watched her pick up her bag and beamed softly as she kept the horrible hair due. He felt bad that she saw him and Sam like that, he couldn’t stand the junior, but she had been there, and he was getting stressed knowing his report card would come in soon enough and that wouldn’t end well for him. 

So he had gone to the easy lay. That was all it was supposed to be, a stress reliever, but there Littleton was seeing him and some ginger chick he cared nothing for, almost going at it. Maddy didn’t even seem to care, she was even amused by it, but that almost bothered Billy more then her being angry would have. 

  
  



	5. Chapter five-Happy halloween

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well this took longer then i thought it would but honestly..i'm terrified.
> 
> Okay i figured that i should stick to the show for a bit more, so i added more stuff in

It was half an hour later with Jonathan looking over at her with some confusion over her hair choice. She simply smirked at his amusement, instead of answering opting to tell him to just drive. 

Maddy felt happy, until she saw the car in the driveway all joy deflating with the breath she let out. "Jon, you want to come on in with me? It's been a while since dad has seen you." He turned beat red and she knew the byers would say no.

"I'd rather wait in the car...tell him i said hi though" She nodded understandingly and maddy finally took down her hair before smiling tensely. 

This wouldn't turn out to be a good day after all.

"Honk when you're ready for me to come down, if i'm taking to long. " Jonathan nodded his head and turned up the radio as Littleton exited. 

Ever so slowly, with breath being taken in she made her way to the front door not being able to, with byers watching, climb through the window. Her march was slow, a man on death row strolling to the electric chair. 

She unlocked the door and took in breath as she stepped in and shut it behind her. Littleton's dad shot up from his chair, uneasily stumbling towards his daughter with that sickly sneer on his lips. it was her dad's day off too it seemed. 

"Hey there Madkins...how..how was school today?" His hand rested on her shoulder causing a shuttering pain to go through her, his gaze had already weakened her, his touch was burning through her. Not giving in an inch of weakness, Donna kept her face cold and body language impassive.

She wouldn't let him see her in pain, he didn't get to revel into that. "It went well..How was your day?" He chuckled stepping closer, smelling the top of her hair before starting to pull her into his chest, Maddy knew what he was going to try and do. 

With heart rapid and eyes wide she spoke. "Dad...Byer's is waiting for me, he's watching his brother and his friends today, I said i'd help out, it's halloween so i'm going to need to change." In a moment Mr.Littleton stepped back, he tilted his head, cold eyes moving over her with flickering judgement.

"You come here to dress up for him?" The hand tightened it's grip and Maddy shook her head as best she could, quickly forcing the tears to stay a bay, she would not weep before the monster, she couldn't..god help her keep the tears away..

"No...no...It's halloween, i have to get a costume on...please Dad-" Pain blossomed on her cheek and she sniffled slightly before feeling the hateful gentle stroke of his fingers. Her vision danced about as his breath began stinking up her surrounding air and he squeezed her cheeks forcing her eyes to meet his own.

"I'll let you go...you know what you have to say though...you know...Just say it" His alcohol stenched aura caused her to whimper, she shut her eyes closed as his whiskered moved over her cheek, each breath hitting Maddy like a tidal wave.

"Please, dad-" His nails dug into her neck at the wrong wording, the sudden attack causing her to gasp, though she didn't dare pull away.

The girl knew better then that. Maddy's body simply tensed as she was forced to rest her head on his chest . "- Daddy...I'll come back...i'll always come back...I promise..you know that" the words felt like acid and she finished slowly trying just contain her sorrows.

"..I love you."

He kissed her cheek hand moving over her back lowering itself to the base of her spine before he took a step away and smirked at her almost lovingly. "I love you too sweetheart, come back and show daddy your costume okay."

Maddy took off quickly rushing up stairs and went to her room, breathing heavily she settled herself and looked at the mess her father had made of her sanctuary.

Books had been thrown about, pages ripped off, the vases shattered and her bed a mess of sheets. Had he slept there? She hoped he hadn't- but with the sight of crumpled underwear...Maddy found herself hoping that he did. 

Mads didn't have time to deal with it, any of it. Donna also didn't have the time to hope to find her spock outfit from the wreckage, she had no hope that it was not ruined either.

With hands shaking in anger, she went to her mother's room. It had been untouched, except for the bed, which Maddy wouldn't even look at as she went through the closet. it was a ruined sanctuary as had her mother's clawed bathtub had been after she had overdose in the tub and slight her wrist.

Maddy had thought the crimson would never be removed from its porcelain, it was odd how easily it did come off in the end though. How easy it was, hiding the evidence of her parents sins. 

Through the hippy skirts and business topes, Donna found an almost wednesday addams crossover with a french maid outfit, it was somewhat long, going just at her knees. That could work for something, not that it mattered.. 

Eyeing her mother's vanity she took it down and changed quickly keeping her eyes on the door in case of her father's sudden entrance, this room as she well remembered did not have a lock.

He didn't show and she felt comfortable enough, to put on her mothers booted heels above her panty hoses and settle down at the vanity. Besides the tinge of pink surrounding her eyes, Maddy didn't look to bad.

She painted her eyes black and smoked them brown before placing dark red lipstick on her mouth and going to tease her hair. Maddy didn't care if it looked like the character that much, she was planning on throwing on her jacket and keep it on when at the party.

After her hair was volumed up, Maddy stepped back from the mirror, not seeing the dark ghost of a figure as she usually did, but instead seeing someone so familiar in her place. It was her mother, the black flowing hair and bright eyes, the dress hugged her, besides the arm wound, Mads looked just how her mother had. 

It scared her. 

Maddy didn't dare look away as she touched her cheek, she couldn't lose this ghost, not after the last time. alas it was her, not her mother's ghost. Despite how she couldn't believe it, that had to be true, her mom was long since dead. 

She was just the thing her mother forgot to take with her. 

A honk from outside caused her eyes to widen and maddy jumped back into reality before racing out her door and passed her father before he knew she had flown by. 

Jonathan looked over at her and smiled amusingly at her outfit. "Now that is a beautiful costume you have on right now. "She rolled her eyes and looked away almost feeling like he had meant it in the way she had wanted him to.

The feeling wasn't as strong as she had seen how he thought of nancy, earlier when he had called to confirm the time when they'd pick up her brother. His eyes had lit up, she almost felt happy for him.

"Thanks, yours is great to slugger, what are you a slacker?"Jonathan smiled and looked towards the road not letting himself get lost in her drastic change of appearance. 

"i'm just me Mads, i'm just me." Rolling her eyes Littleton rolled down the window and began to smoke. 

They picked up Will from the house, with Bob teaching Jonathan how to use the camera, His mom looked over Maddy with a small smile and helped fix up her hair while gushing over how beautiful she was. 

"You know Maddy, i went to school with your mom," Her eyes met the Byers mother and nodded her head slowly. " and i just wanted you to know that you're the spitting image of her right now..Jonathan's lucky to have you-"

Though the setiment was nice, she was wrong on both parts, well wrong on the last one and missed being comforting on the first one. "I'm not...i mean we're not." His mother furrowed her brows but gave a soft smile looking over at Bob who had adorned a dracula cape and matching teeth. 

"Well, not that it's any of my business but sometimes the ones you don't look at, come back to you later, it's always better to get them that first time..." Her eyes had whisps of wants in them and Maddy blushed as she sent the girl a wink. 

"Trust me...i'm not the one doing the looking over.." The motherly woman let out a soft "oh." her face going into some sadness and Donna shook her head forcing on a smile. "Don't worry, i'm out of his league anyways." Crinkling her nose the woman kissed the girls forehead and smile. 

"That is so true." 

On the ride to where the kids were going to meet up, Will voiced how much he hated them chaparoning them. "Fine...if you go to Mike's at nine then, we'll leave you guys be." Maddy glared at Jonathan for backing out and shot equal daggers to the boy. 

"You guys suck you know that? I wanted candy too. I thought you were excited for me to go with you Will? What changed." He shrugged beaming happily to filled with joy to take her playful scolding seriously. 

"I'll give you my gummies alright?" Littleton thought about it and nodded her head seeing that as a fair trade. "Alright." After Will had left the car Jonathan pulled out of his lap the orange sheet of paper. 

Maddy's face fell. "Are you seriously choosing that over candy? And here i thought you were just being a good brother. " Byers gave her a smirk and the two went over to the grocers to fill up on junk food and candy as they waited for time to pass and jammed out to music

At Eight the two moved on to the party, for five minutes they sat in the boys car and stared ahead with dread in there hearts. 

"This is going to suck...Byers...you sure you don't want to try some drugs? It'd buy us a good twenty minutes." He snorted and shook his head, finally being the first one to exit the car. 

Jonathan had never judged her smoking or now doing pot, but he never thought of doing it himself.

This is where they'd truly would be out of place.

She let out a breath and followed close behind hating the boots already for slowing her down and sinking her into the soft ground. When Maddy caught up with him, the teen linked arms with Byers, squeezing the boy's hand to give them both some courage. 

The party was already in full swing, freshmen already puking, and billy already chugging beer by poking a hole into it, just as Steve had last year.

Maddy sighed burying into Jonathan's side to stop her eyes from wandering and ears from burning at the talk that went about the air surrounding them. Steve saw them before anyone else, his face lighting up as he made his way towards them.

He made an excellent Danny, but he had already had the hair so it wasn't to much of a change.

"Wowee, Donna-lee, is that actually you underneath all of that hair?!" Her brow raised and cheeks heated as she stood tall and kept his gaze, which wandered over her in curiosity if not a bit of appreciation. 

Stevie did look shocked. "You're mageneta! You're actually her...that's great."

"Who else were you expecting for the party?" She cockily popped up the collar momentarily before chuckling and evening it out. Maddy felt nervous, but pushed it down so she could enjoy herself...or at least pretend to she knew what waited for her at home.

Jonathan talked to her, nudging the girl's arm softly and holding out a red cup of liquid courage. She took it and, trusting her friend enough to, chugged it on sight. 

Nancy winced sipping her own with visible trouble, not only for the drink she was chugging. "Plug your nose when you drink it, helps it go down." Wheeler was as sickly sweet and pure as sugar, and just as harmful to have to much of. 

She was caring to much for barabara just as mike was for El

The wheeler girl smiled thankfully and followed littletons suggestion. "Much better...fuel...this was rightly named." Donna nodded in agreeance smirking weakly at the taste. It wasn't to bad, but it was still horrible.

She only stayed with the group for only a few minutes after that, she couldn't stand the thick tension between the trio. Jonathan, steve, or even Nancy by themselves with her, were pleasant enough, but all together she couldn't deal with them. 

It was so awkward, not only with them all knowing the darker truth of the town, but with Nancy recently freaking out over Barbara..that made things even worse. Not even diving into the issue with John's and wheeler's 'unrequited' romance. 

Thankfully he had bowed out too, Jonathan that is, talking to the kiss girl samantha, who had complimented his nonexistent costume. She was nice, not only on holidays, in class she had lent Littleton a pencil, and on a bigger bought she had helped look for will

During her silent escape she was stopped, there were some freshmen who nervously bought,from her, their first blunts and Maddy made sure to tell them how to properly inhale and hold the item, others were her regular customers.

None of those were surprising but there were some surprises, girls complimenting her, boys she knew from previous deals claiming they had never seen her before attempting to chat her up.

Obviously she wasn't the only one to think that she looked like a stranger in this movie get up.

After the minor delays Mads made it to the kitchen counter to where the mixing table was. Cheap vodka, over paid for beer, stolen rum, and questionable wine was set out, biting her lower lip and looking over the items she settled on stealing the already confiscated bourbon. 

She took the whole bottle not bothering to steal away a cup, Donna knew she'd finish it all or atleast most of it on her own. With bottle tucked in her arms, she scanned the crowd to find her gaggle of friends. 

In the middle of that search, arms wrapped about her, Maddy tensed and squirmed away only to turn and see Tommy leering at her with obvious surprise. 

"my oh my Maddy, you sure have gone all out tonight..." He poked his tongue out leeringly licking his lower lip before muttering not to himself, "I wonder, if i paid you enough...would you service me like you do billy?"

Her brows furrowed and jaw clenched, though her stormy eyes couldn't hide the hurt that Billy talked to people about her in such away. Is that what he told people they did in the broom closet? Why he followed her into the bathroom? Cause she was sleeping with him? 

nausea started to rise in her stomach as she glared at the boy before her. 

"Paid me to be a decent person towards you? Tommy, i don't think all of your daddy's money could make me do that...thank you for asking though. You should run off before your girlfriend sleeps with lieberman again." He looked back just in time to see Carol grouped with her girlfriends talking to one another with blush filled laughter.

By the time he turned around, Maddy had disappeared onto the side porch where the keg was. She was heatedly fuming and felt the need to cool down. 

Billy had already gathered a crowd and she squeezed in the midst of them to hide away from the chasing man. Her movements froze as she watched him, denim jacket and low hanging jeans being the only things on him as he went vertical and held himself up. 

She couldn't help but notice his toned muscles and glinting charisma which he oozed with ease. For that moment, she hated him. It dawned on her how much she did, how much Maddy hated, not only Hargrove, but all of them.

Her chest was aching due to how much pressure was on her, compared to all of these children, how easy they would have it if they just stopped being so ungrateful.

Nancy with her infuriating love triangle, Tommy with his pulling her pigtails to get her attention, Steve with his annoying pissing contest with Billy, and Billy, being the worst, with his ruling the roost complex. 

He'd tell them anything, go along with whatever games his buddies wanted, just because, despite how mature he liked to act, he was just a little boy who wanted to be liked. 

They were all just kids though.

She noted the cloud of dread which hung around her, Mads could see it clear as day now, how, in the sea of joyful carelessness, she was the darkened creature, Donna could even see how she was just like them. 

Ungrateful.

Though her numbering of things to be grateful for was dwindled considerably compared to her compatriots, Maddy was here, she was alive, had relatively good health, a best friend, food to eat and clothes on her back. 

None of this was something she could use to push aside her horrible reality, but it was something which helped her see with better perspective. 

She was alive, unlike Barbara, unlike El who like her brother, had been just a child. Maddy had a best friend still unlike Mike, Mads despite the horror she had been through, she hadn't been stuck in the upside down for weeks like Will had been. 

And though they, all in ways had it better then Littleton, they had it worse then her in others. The momentary flicker of nostalgia left her, who was she kidding, her life was a train wreck, but she could move on, she could do it. 

By the time she blinked into reality, blooming with some wonderstruck hope, she had on a unbefitting smile, and billy was just about done with his keg stand. He had five more seconds on it, and she found herself not really caring about the things he had talked to his friends about behind her back, he was actually doing a pretty great job at this idiotic task.

So for these reasons, despite herself, Donna cheered along with the crowd of idiotic teens. "Way to go Billy!" He let out a spray of golden liquid and pounded his fist to his chest as his gang cheered him on. 

Hargrove was such a child. 

With crowd disappearing she found herself hiding away the bottle underneath a crack in the porch foundation before heading in, she'd drink in a bit. For now, Maddy would try to take the first step in moving on, the music seemed like a pleasant distraction. 

And it was, she forced Byers to dance about with her, it was oddly nice. She drunkenly rested onto his chest, holding him wantingly with comfort seeking clinginess, though soon enough he turned red and moved away from his friend.

He did so, not that she had done anything to bad but, he was a horrible dancer, even for as bad as Littleton had been. Mads then moved about with steven, playfully, both light hearted and uncaringly, it was a nice few minutes before Maddy found herself getting pulled away by a stranger's strong arms. 

She went to push them away growling heartedly as her bubble of serenity was popped. "Tommy i fucking swear-" Maddy turned to strike only to be met with Hargroves gaze and she swallowed instantly at his coy smirk and amused glinting eyes. 

He was tall, his hair disheveled and blue eyes digging into her as they always had, had he already been this tall though...

"oh." Her heart sunk into submission and lips pursed, she was still mad at him, but as he moved her close, Mads didn't stop him, instead she blinked tiredly sucking in a small gulp of breath. why did this feel nice, fucking dick bag in a pretty person.

The girl knew she should walk away, pull out of his grip, hit him squarely in the face..he had said such horrible things about her. But hell even Steven had done that at one point, still, maddy knew she couldn't just forgive him so easily. 

Her eyes turned to stone and she clenched her fist going to strike before noticing the softness of his gaze, he wasn't being cruel. This was weird...she and him were in front of everyone, and Billy was dancing with her.

Noticing her tension leave like a weight off her shoulders, Billy's hands went on her hips, gently holding her to him. Her mind was racing to much for her to blush at their closeness. Was this him just enforcing what they believed already to be true? That she was a whore? Fresh anger pushed through her, but she found herself to relaxed to act on it. 

Despite her anger it was comforting, she realized tension had eased and he was warm, gentle..her head was buzzed with fuel and she almost felt like a child. Oddly enough, this was not sexual, he was not attempting to pry away whatever virtue he thought she was holding on to, but actually slow dancing with her.

Mads blushed, placing her hands hesitantly onto his shoulders and looking at him questioningly with lips pouted. She hadn't danced with anyone, her and Jackson when he was still here..but besides that, this was a foreign concept to her. The idiotic jumping and hugged swaying she had done with her friends just moments before didn't count. 

"Hey billy." His fingers pressed against her back gently at the soft way Donna said his name, It was like just a breath had left her. She took a moment to catch her lungs need requirement before continuing. 

It, his touch didn't hurt but waves went over her anyways. Gentle waves which were rocking her unsteady boat"Did you want to buy some? I have a bit left with me." 

The man's head shook, his eyes went over her changed features. No he did not for once want her intoxicating drug. Weird night indeed Maddy repeated again silently.

Hargrove thought she looked alive right now, hair teased and high about her pale hearted face, cheeks pink with nervousness and eyes almost a ghost of brown with their gentle stare meeting his own wanting one. He had watched her dancing, being held without want or care by the Byers, and then saw her sadly move on and let loss with Harrington. 

Hargrove had wanted that, just a piece of it. So he was now trying to capture this look, this false peaceful moment they were both grasping onto before he leaned in."No drugs right now..." His mouth moved to the shell of her ear and Billy whispered softly. 

"I just thought i'd tell you that I'm the new king of Hawkins, Queenie." the heated breath tickled her and she couldn't help but look him over with brows furrowing. 

Was he trying to flirt? He was so bad at it. How and the hell was he getting people to sleep with him.

Mad bit her lip and smirked before burying her face into the shell of his shoulder, he smelled of smoke, cheap beer and car leather. Donna smiled, she couldn't help it, that was one of the stupidest, cheesiest, and sweetest things anyone had said to her. 

Her fingers absentmindedly curled at the back of his skull as she contained her laughter into his shoulder. Mads was shaking against him in laughter for a few moments, before looking up with smiling eyes at his shocked handsome features. 

She didn't care how close their noses were to one another's, or that they brushed up slightly as he held her tighter, she just lightly felt that wave of happiness in her and was glad she had been taking back fuel like an empty car.

"Gosh Hargrove, that was a bad line... so are you going to cut off my head or dethrone me so you can have your Harem?" He beamed at her, seeing that look of challenge in her eyes.

Billy wanted to challenge her, to say that she was the only lady he'd need, a queen for his kingdom, but he knew she'd see through that- that it would have ruined the moment. His lines with someone like her would have, she wasn't just a girl, she was something more, a living breathing thing, he could scarcely hope to keep with him for long. 

Instead his hands moved off her waist and she unlinked her hands from about his neck, brushing through his hair one last time as parting before stepping back. Hargrove decided, that ending the moment was better than ruining it.

"Haven't decided yet...got to find a guillotine for you..Like the costume Genta..i'll find you later for a smoke." Moving her hair from her face and smiling wantingly, Hargrove didn't waver in his conviction and instead turned and disappeared into the crowd. 

She felt his absence immediately and decided to ignore the idiotic aching Maddy felt in her chest as she pondered if she should have asked him about Tommy's statement, or if should she just ignore it so their friendship wouldn't end. 

With head clouded with the question, Donna turned and noticed the stare harrington was giving her. "What?" His brow raised and the girl mimicked his expression. 

"Hargrove really?" Maddy rolled her eyes and moved through the crowd to get next to him so they wouldn't have to shout out to one another, she'd have enough drama to deal with tomorrow. 

"Yeah...he wanted drugs. i told him i'd save him some...excuse fucking me dad jesus." He sighed and shook his head. Why the fuck was he even bothering with this, they didn't get along that much anyways. if he cared why hadn't he ran to get her from the big bad Billy Hargroves grasp?

"I'm sorry, but that's not all of it, he's obvious into you...and you, obviously don't seem to mind." Steven was disappointed in her. Great, who was he? Hopper? fuck this. 

"He's just a customer...and so what if he likes me. is that any problem of yours?" He opened his mouth and Mads cut him off. Everyone, had to fucking get into her business, why couldn't they just stay out of it? First it was just Jonathan, but now it was Billy and Steven damn people couldn't be bothered to mind their own business.

And she knew that they didn't care, Jonathan did but not in the way that she wanted him, Steve was just worried about what Mad's could tell Hargrove, and Hargrove, was just pretending to get what was in her dress...her weed. 

She wasn't dumb enough to bring a purse to a highschool party. 

"It's not Steve, because its my life...i don't care that you two don't get along, i'm not going to sleep with him! Happy? Stop this big brother act, go take care of nancy..she's not doing to well at the punch bowl." Maddy's razor voice lowered into a deep husk growl. 

"You know how she gets when she's drunk, right?" her eyes turned to slights and his widened slightly as he clenched his jaw.

Her odd happy moment had been officially ruined, she now felt the ach in her side from laughing and her fathers attentions.

Everything was back to normal, the rose tinted glasses she had stolen were shattered upon the floor. There was no moving on, people had died, her life was shit, and there was an amazingly huge chance that she would die by the hands of her father, or by her own. And to top it off, in the meantime until she was dead, Mads had to deal with this shit. 

That half hour of pushing back the only pain she allowed in hadn't been a godsend the reminded of how things could have been hurt Donna all the more. 

Sighing, Mads pushed her way through the crowd, only to make her way towards her hidden place. The bottle unsurprisingly was still there and she drifted from the hiding place to one of the free chairs by the parked cars.

From their she'd see Jonathan and go with him when he finally decided to leave. It was peaceful, the poison went down easily with her cigarette smoke. For a few moments she was on her own

"Mind if i sit?" A almost familiar voice asked, as she looked, Maddy saw it was Paul, one of the nicer basketball players. The one from the diner that had been at least a little decent. Nodding her head she offered him the bottle, watching as he painfully chugged the rest of his fuel to empty the cup and take up her offer. 

Mad's was amused by his actions Paul was an odd boy, tall, thin with slight muscles and fire truck red hair. He was almost out of place in the group of rich boys, except he was rich and kind of cute, when he smiled. 

After the wince of horribly mixed alcohol, Paul held out to her an empty cup, not the one had had drank out of. Deciding it would be polite not to have to force him to chug her back wash, Mads took it and poured herself a decent amount. 

"So what are you dressed up as?" His red shirt and black slacks made her question his attempt though when she saw that part of his shirt was torn her brow raised in interest. "I'm a red shirt from star trek...well was, Tommy's an ass." Maddy agreed and touched her cup to his as cheers. 

"I'll agree to that, hope that you don't have to die though." As she chugged his face twitched, she winced slightly, not from the expensive drink, but from the odd salty taste that came after. 

"Thanks, means a lot." Pushing through the bad taste she chugged it hoping that the wonkiness would go away. Paul seemed nervous as she stopped half way through, and she caught his half smile as him waiting for her to ask about him wanting any weed. 

Of course that'd be it, he didn't want to actually talk to her, Mad's knew better then that.

The wonky taste didn't go away and for a moment she wondered if the person's parents hadn't just given this to their kid due to the bad quality, at leased Donna did until as she finished, she saw what looked like remnants to a pill resting on the bottom.

What the hell. 

"Paul..." Maddy whispered her eyes widening as she looked at his sullen face, he turned ashen and looked ashamed as Littleton dropped the cup. Whatever it was, was already having effect, Mad's limbs felt heavy, getting heavier with every moment that passed. 

"Paul...what..what did you do?" He stood, she flinched trying to move away finding that she could barely manage that until she suddenly caught sight of the familiar silhouette of Jonathan walking away looking as though he was carrying someone.

She tried to race to her friend, tried screaming out only to fall into the gingers arm barely gurgling out a whine, fear pushed about her heart. No, not like this..not again. Maddy sobbed, tried to though all that happened was her face falling into his chest. the world continued about her, whirling away. 

"Tommy's going....kill me...i'm sorry" Her vision started to fade and she felt his arms about her, her feet leaving the ground suddenly as though she was flying. For a few moments, Littleton was, flying bumpily about with the cold wind surrounding her. 

"Give.. your address." His voice sounded aways off as she heard a car door open and pushed weakly against him. 

"paul..what-" Maddy's slurred words were cut off by a light clapping and a sudden tensing in her captures arms..was that her rescue..was it Steve, had Jonathan seen her? She was glad for the rescue.

"Trying to get weedy...on your own Pauli." There was a sound of a scuffle, fist pounding as she lazily stared at the crystal hanging under the rearview mirror. It was pretty, she decided, the moon made rainbows shoot out of the rock as it swung back and forth above her.

The beautiful sight was suddenly blocked by a shadow and Maddy barely had the energy to blink as she felt hot hands go over her legs. There wasn't a rescue after all, her foggy narrator put out into the empty dark void that was becoming her conscience.

The girl could feel everything though, Donna wished she couldn't"No...get..off." Her hands moved to shove him only ending up to fall onto her heaving chest. Paralyzed, Mad's was paralyzed,

She could feel the cool air and taste salt in her mouth as the shadow moved closter, it's hands edging beneath her gown, beneath her cotton protection. She could feel it, but the teen couldn't move.

Mads whined and with all her strength attempted to keep consciousness. She felt helpless, Madonna was once again a child, back at the night of her father went through her, shattering away her childhood.

Tears heatedly moved down her face, this was all her body was allowing her to do. His hands went over her, the air left her she tried to scream, everything was to warm everything felt to heavy.

Just as the tears left her the body was removed from atop her, more noise came from outside and as maddy took in air a whine left her. Suddenly the noise stopped and the girl found herself swooped up into reassuring arms. Was this safety? another trick...was this a dream? 

"Queenie..be fine.." Her body finally fell limp and Maddy couldn't help but slip deeper into her nightmares

Billy had been about to enter a vacant bedroom with a very hot bunny when he was stopped by the tall basketball player who had a bleeding lip and trembling hands. Hargrove immediately knew he was going to be asking for help, fucking boys here couldn't fight their own battles. 

"God sakes Paulie, fight your own damn battles...me and thumper were about to do what rabbits do best. What the fuck happened?" The ginger caught his breath looking ashamed and blushed hatefully as he finally spoke with soft trembling voice.

"Maddy...my car...tommy, he made me give her something. I swear, He said it was just so he could get weed and wouldn't have to pay, but I figured out what he wanted...I fucked up." Billy released the drunken girl and clenched his jaw slamming Paul against the wall. 

Anger whirled about him, his hands shook and vision turned red. 

"Where are they?" He sputtered out a response and Hargrove didn't hesitate parting the crowd to make his way to the makeshift parking lot.

Immediately, Hargrove saw Mark and one of the junior players standing guard outside of paul's green mustang.

"Hey Hargrove, what's going on? Heading home already or just grabbing a rub-" His fist crashed into the boys pretty face, before he socked the junior in the stomach and kicked mark against one of the other cars. 

The junior took another solid hit before giving into unconsciousness and Mark managed, to his credit, to get a single punch in before Billy made him eat the dirt too.

It was only a few moments but he was scared he had came to late. He couldn't imagine how she'd be after this, he had seen it before, the sick cowards who couldn't get a girl themselves so they instead forced themselves in a pack upon helpless women. 

Billy to his credit had always tried to stop it, was one of the reason's they left Cali, he beat to a pulp one of the wrong guy's sons and now here they were, but now..it was happening again. Was he going to be to late again?

Rage filled him as he ripped open the cars driver side door and pulled the basketball player from the dazed whimpering girl. 

As he held Tommy by the color and looked in, with the light of the moonlight, he could see the bruises, dark and hateful decorating Littleton's thighs. The rage increased tenfold and the man turned to Tommy, gave an animalist smirk and less loose. 

The crunching of bones and begging didn't stop him, only a sudden noise from the once still car caught Billy's attention. Almost immediately, he stopped, dropping the oddly limp tommy to the gravel, before wiping his hands on his jeans and going to Maddy. 

His heart sunk at the side of her, she looked terrified a frozen version of who she was, tears moved down her pale cheeks and her hands twitched at her attempts to move them. She was still fighting against the drug. Carefully Hargrove picked her up, stepping over the bodies of his teammates as he held her to his chest, she sobbed, mutely crying as he carried her. 

"You're going to be alright, Queenie, i took care of them, just go to sleep you'll be fine." As though she actually heard him, Donna passed out. Billy could have smiled at how soft she looked now, if not for the situation. 

Steve who was sitting out side the party looked up with brows raised and jaw dropping slightly at the sight of Billy carrying maddy off to his car. Everyone was going home with the wrong people. 

Despite his heart ache and drunkenness, Harrington stood and followed billy to make sue she was okay. "Littleton...aye Mad's." Her not giving him a wave or anything made his brow raise. "Billy. the fuck you doing with Maddy?" Hargrove stopped head reclining up to the sky as he visibly sighed. 

"Harrington...can you please...just not, I get it, the white knight thing is what you've been doing, but wheeler literally ran off with photo creep, so you mind taking the night fucking off?" His head turned and brow reclined as he tiredly adjusted the girl in his arms. 

"No, i don't take nights off. You better have a good fucking excuse for having her in your arms." Billy turned, Steven noticed his bloodied knuckles and swollen cheek. "I really fucking do, think i'm the bad guy all you fucking want, but it wasn't me who roofied Queenie and stuffed her in the back seat of a car." 

Harrington swallowed, his eyes widened and he noted the sincerity in Hargroves words. "Make sure she get's home safe...i've been needing something to punch...you think we should call the cops." Shaking his head tiredly Billy shrugged. "When she gets up i'll ask her...give them hell okay."

After that odd interaction, he carried her to his own car, took off his jacket and covered the sleeping girl before gripping the steering wheel tightly, despite being emotionally distracted he was still shaking in anger. 

Billy should go back out there and kill them.

The pale messy faced girl next to him made Billy sigh, no he'd take his anger out later, and Steven could take his place in the meantime. Donna needed him right now. The man drove shakily smoking his cigarette as he thought, it was halloween, his dad and step mom wouldn't be in...Max on the other hand.

His breath shook as he looked at the girl, donna still looked so frail and weak right now, he hated it. Fuck it, if he got in trouble so be it. There was no way he could get her into her house with her dad noticing, and there was no way he was going to make her deal with that. 

Hargrove had honestly thought about going over to her house and leaving her there, but with the way she told him her dad would have reacted to the spray paint. He didn't want to know what would happen if Mads dad found out about this. 

Not right now, her poor father, with everything else happening, Donna was all he had left of his family. If Littleton wanted everyone to know, Billy would let that be her decision. He didn't wouldn't force that upon her.

Maddy stayed limp in his arms as he carried her gently into his house, at his entrance Max raised a brow but quickly went back to eating her chocolate with little care for Billy's actions. He was thankful for that and decided he'd do something to make up for it, as long as she didn't tell their parents afterwards.

As he set her on the bed, Billy wondered if he would have been better off not just taking her to the police station. In the morning the boy would ask, that was another big decision he wouldn't make for her.

Small mutters left her lips and tiredly feeling uneasily by the way tonight turned out, he unzipped her heeled boots and calmed himself, before looking between her legs. 

The bruises turned off his usually, perverse mind and he was glad that her underwear seemed mainly unroused. Billy looked over the pale thighs, sucking in air at the pain she would be in tomorrow. Why was tommy so angered by Donna to this point? Hargrove had taken plenty of beatings from his dad, and this looked worse than those times. 

In the short amount of time that he was with her too. Hargrove shook his head, he couldn't think about it. he refused to lest he go back out there and kill the trio. Billy stood, he maneuvered Mad's body so he could take off her jacket, laying it on the chair, he got a good look at the scarring. 

It looked like it suited her it was a battle scar. hugging her pale limb as though its scar tissue would always be there thickening her skin and protecting her. Though it hurt maddy greatly, the marred flesh was also her shield. 

He blinked pulled his blanket over the girl and sighed as he went out to shower. Billy needed to cool his anger and slow this thinking process. how would he even begin to face Littleton tomorrow?


	6. chapter six: Weekends end

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meant to publish this a lot earlier, but i kind of got caught up with life...job, and movies. Sorry hope there is still people out here to enjoy it, tell me what you think and hope you enjoy.

Maddy held her breath hiding beneath the blanket as she smelled alcohol. she could feel the heated presence of a hand ghosting over her soft protection. Go to sleep, please go to sleep, it isn't real. Her hands clamped themselves over her lips eyes widened as the blanket was sudden pulled off of her. 

The monster wasn't going to leave her be tonight. It hardly did these days.

The beast stood before her, yellow teeth glinting, red tinted eyes burrowing themselves into her small form. Mad's frame shook, she began kicking at it and finally screamed out as it pinned her down.

"Daddy, please help me..Daddy, where are you?!" Her mouth was covered by a calloused hand, her body held down by another large appendage, the foul stench covered her senses as the creature slinked closer to her.

"Daddy's here darling, i got you...i got you." Tears silently left her as the thing mimicking her father's voice, standing in his borrowed skin, moved upon her.

Throughout it all little Maddy knew, it was just a monster, her dad would be here soon, he'd come save her...he'd come save her... 

He would right? He had been able to stop it before and he had always said how sorry he was in the morning.

But as time dragged on and she felt such horrible pain, littleton didn't believe her father would be able to stop it. Not this time.

Madonna awoke, no heated presence next to her, no smell of her father or feeling of soiled sheets, her breath steadied, she was not that child anymore. Relief filled her before she winced, why did it hurt down there? Not as bad as it did once her father had gone to her, but it was discomforted all the same 

Furrowing her brows she moved her shoulders slightly and realized her bra was still on which explained the discomfort on her upper body. Yawning she felt the dryness of her mouth and champness that had overtaken her lips. Maddy decided she really hated drinking, her eyes opened groggily and she was surprised to see a very well endowed woman on a poster. 

Those were definitely fake but still wow...wait what room was she in? Jonathan's? She'd definitely make fun of him for this. taking the cup of water and aspirin Maddy smiled to herself before sitting up. The water helped her throat a lot and though the aspirin cleared up her head, Littleton still found herself blinking in disbelief at the sight of Billy sitting on a chair next to the bed. 

He was sleeping, Pajama pants hanging low, head resting on his hand, other hand tightened on his pajamas material as though he was angry or in pain. He was shirtless, his body beyond impressive up this close, Maddy ofcourse didn't focus on this instead looked over him with slight concern. 

What the hell happened last night? 

They, obviously, hadn't had sex...right? Maddy saw her mothers boots next to the bed and noticed the small bruising webbing out on Billy's jaw line. Her brain racked for answer reaching out into darkness and grabbing nothing. Littleton had danced with Hargrove, she had talked to steven...and then there was nothing. 

Her body was tense, her brain swirled like a smoothy and body feeling uncomfortably icky. It didn't matter...she had to get home, she had to go to work and school...shit. 

her eyes met the clocks, it was five, she had time. Launching up Maddy put on the boots and was about to open the window before stopping and looking over hargrove. What did he do? Moving about the chair she knelt next to him, tracing the bruise on his jaw before looking over his split knuckles. 

she found herself wanting to kiss the wounds, a princess kissing the blade of her parting lovers sword before he went off to battle, but she didn't. Mad stood, she placed his blanket over him and taking some money from her...ruined garters, she slid some money underneath his pillow. 

What ever Hargrove had gotten into, she had a feeling that it was something she should thank him for. Of course she couldn't do that out loud so she left him the cash.

Racing out his window and quietly shutting it behind her, Maddy forgot one vital thing. She hadn't locked her bedroom door before leaving, and another thing that had slipped her mind- she had, that night, been the spitting image of her mother.

Billy awoke with a crink in his neck, though he was comfortably warm. Stretching himself out the memories of last night hit him. Quickly Hargrove looked over at his bed,she wasn't there, her boots were gone and water was half drank. 

Was she embarrassed? Did Maddy think he had done something? His stomach churned at that possibility of her thinking of him that way. He was a shitty guy, but he was not that shitty as he proved the night before. If she did think that of him, Hargrove would have harrington prove it otherwise, that eased his worry, and looking over at the clock Billy sighed in relief, it was only five thirty. 

Crawling into his bed, Billy curled the blanket about him and laid down, his hand sneaking under the pillow, he felt that was paper there. A note? He smiled sleepily before seeing that it was a twenty dollar bill. 

That sight did not dim his joy, she didnt blame him.

She didn't hate him, that was nice to know. Ignoring his angered mind with this one piece of solace he laid himself down and slowly drifted into sleep. 

The sleep lasted two more blissful hours and then Hargrove was annoyingly awoken by max. He stretched and smiled to himself that the pain was gone. Dressing was, carelessly done though, he did stop and stare across the street, Maddy hadn't start walking yet, or had he missed it? 

If jonathan wasn't there, he'd give her a ride, try and explain everything to her.

His brows furrowed slightly and he thought on this glancing towards the window through out breakfast. There was an unsteady pit in his stomach as Billy stuffed his papers into his bag and marched out to the car. 

Hargrove wanted to check on the girl. it was odd, but he did, though the boy had no idea what he would do if her father answered and she wasn't there. Instead looking away from the house which was calling him, he ignored the feeling and hopped into the car.

If he had only knocked on the door maybe Maddy would have gotten to go to school, but alas he didn't knock and she didn't show, not only that but she didn't show up either of her jobs

The day passed and Hargrove was the only one to be told about him and Littleton being partners. He understood why she wouldn't want to go to school, but that didn't stop him from being worried. 

There was an after thought of him possibly getting into trouble for fighting if Maddy went to the police, but Billy honestly could say that he didn't mind taking that beating, he wouldn't have changed what he did. 

There was no rumors about what he had done, but its aftermath was still visible. For example, at practice, they had all noticed the absence of Mark and Tommy, though the coach seemed actually relieved for them being gone, they were after all, only on the team because of their parents. With Billy being filled with worry himself, he didn't even have time to feel good about his concurring of the pricks

Steve at practice kept throwing glances to Hargrove. He ignored them bouncing about in the banter as his own thoughts were still stuck on Littleton. Steven's thoughts were soon moved on to nancy as she showed up in the gym. He tried not to let that get to him but it soon filled his thoughts, Maddy would be fine he assured himself thinking over the ruins of his relationship 

And though the knowledge of what happened to her was still in his head, his rage that nancy couldn't say those words filled him. 

Billy on the other hand, though keeping up normal pretenses couldn't stop the questions from filling him. 

Was she okay? What did she want him to do? What was he supposed to do? What could he say to her? Billy didn't blame her for not showing up for school, he wouldn't have wanted to either. 

He didn't want her having more rumors go about her, but he also didn't want those fuckers to get away with it and so far no one was saying anything. Paul hadn't tried talking to anyone thankfully, and better than that, the ginger fuck had dropped out of the team. 

Jonathan would have been the worst out of all of them, worrying over her, well he would have if he had had been paying attention. With him having been told by Steven during second period, that she had gone home with Hargrove, though he was disappointed, Byers thought she had taken the day off. 

If he had been focusing on something other then Will and Nancy he would have seen her bike still there in the same spot, her having not gone to school it wouldn't have been changed of the flat tires that tommy gave it the night before

But Jonathan was focusing on Nancy's issues and thinking about Will getting worse, so for all his caring Byers didn't notice. 

Billy was the one worryingly staring at the abandoned bike as he waited for his step sister. Where had she been? The girl next to him didn't seem to notice him staring at the motorcycle, he didn't seem to notice the amount of time passing until said girl had spoken up. 

"She can walk, let's go." Rage filled as ever, Billy pulled out of the lot.

-.-.-.-

Maddy was running, the cold air about her swirled, her boots had been broken at the high heeled area and she had scraped her knees. There was a storm, creature thing in the distance, but smaller ones had been coming after her. This was the nightmare she was used to, hawkins looked desolated and Littleton knew that this was the upside down, or at least what she imagined it to be like. 

Almost every night she ran away from the creatures at least once, awakening in the darkness of her own room, or another twisted nightmare, but this was the longest she had been in. After her father had finally passed out from his exerctions, Maddy awoke here, face down on her mattress with lip bleeding and hands shaking, still feeling every pain he had gave her. 

She had escaped her home immediately, each step painful, stomach whirling, she didn't care that there was shelter in the house. Maddy needed to leave...it was suffocating her with the joyless memories that filled it. 

Maddy didn't know how long she have been at it, racing away, but the small slick creatures had been long gone, her feet were aching and Littleton had just broken out of the forest line to the open field outside of the schools. 

It was so cold, that as she gripped her aching side and bent over, Maddy could see her breath, at least she could just before Littleton emptied her guts.

Once she had finished, Her silver eyes widened with fright, the bloodvessel previously popped made the fear seem even worse as she came face to face with the darkened storm like creature. 

It took her a moment to see the small boy racing towards her.

Will.

He had never been in her dreams before, but as the storm clouded tentacle followed him, Maddy didn't second guess herself when she began racing after him. Dream or not, Little would try and protect him, she always tried to when El was in her dreams, the young byers wouldn't be any different.

"Will!" Her voice was hoarse and his eyes widened in surprise at seeing her, this was the first time he saw not only her but anyone else in the upside down. 

"Maddy?!" The girl wrapped her hand about his and began pulling him with her. "Will, come on, we need to go, what are you doing?" Her grip tightened as he suddenly stopped running. 

"Bob told me i needed to face my nightmare...I don't want you to get hurt-""Bob's a fucking idiot, give me your hand and lets go." Pouting his lips the figment of her imagination shook her head as the storm creature moved towards them. 

"You don't need to protect me Maddy...You can run...I can't keep running" He looked at her, Maddy's fear bubbled and kissing the false Byers boy on his cheek. Will was not a baby he needed to be able to make his own decision, even if this was a dream. 

Sighing with this realization, she whispered gently to the child. "Be brave..i'm not." and then Littleton ran. 

She ran as fast as she could only stopping at the treeline to see Will screaming at the monster, he shouted fearfully before as the smoke surrounded him looking at Maddy, fear was filling his features and he looked sorry not to have ran with her just as the mist began to fill him. 

Maddy's heart broke, she let out a sob hating this dream that was surrounding her, knowing she failed to save him before she turned about only to face, the demogorgon. 

Madonna littleton awoke. The room about her was a mess, mer mind was whirling and her stomach churned. If it was from the seemingly never ending abuse she had endured or the terrible dream which filled her unconcious hours, Maddy did not know.

She felt terrible, her heart ached from what had happened to will in her dream and the moments following his fall.

At the moment she had turned over and was emptying her stomach into the waste basket next to her bed.The sun had set by now and though exhaustion was creeping up on the girl, she forced herself to stand, stumble over to the bathroom and rinse out her mouth.

Her darling dearest father was at work thankfully he had left sometime just after six and Donna was thankful. The water stung her busted lip and strained throat but she forced herself to swallow it ridding herself of the taste of stomach acid and him.

Afterward with shaking hands she washed her face and the rest of her body scrubbing her body red under the icy spray which she had to endure.

Once clean and her sheets were tossed off, Littleton found sleep. And she slept almost all Saturday only awaking to call into her jobs explaining out the lie she had planned, that one of her basement stairs had broke and she was nursing a sprained ankle.

Both places of employment were understanding and gave her off the much needed time. She took the entire week off not wishing to have to keep up pretenses with either of them the idea of doing so seemed to painful for her to even think about.

By Sunday afternoon she could bear to move with the help of her pain pills which she took freely without care now. Her mother had good taste in addictions and in her hazed moments Maddy didn't care about what aftermath her free handedness would cause to occur

Her bedroom piece by piece was slowly either repaired, cleaned, or thrown away. By the time it was done, the room looked empty, any items that she had here that were important, had been torn apart. Also, by the time she was cleaning her fathers destruction, it was night Maddy was blown out enough to be beyond free of pain and sober enough to know she needed to buy some quality concealer.

Out her window did the pale woman go with out much care of checking out if someone was watching, she didn't question the apology liquor she found outside, just picked it up guessing that she'd most likely need it sometime tonight

Billy outside in his car smoking, was happy to see some movement from her room. Movement in the house in general, not including her father's odd hours of coming and goings. Hargrove continued to watched the hooded small dark figure limp down the road and towards the school.

His gut told him to follow her. For once he listened to it. he turned off his lights and drove slowly behind. He noticed how the girls limp lessened a few steps after she had thrown her head back and chugged out of a small bottle.

She moved off the side of the road and was swaying hazily in the middle of it looking up at the stars and splaying her hands outward like she was attempting to take flight. He smiled at her silliness before Maddy began to spin, she turned on heels and let out a giggle. It wasn't bad but the bottle was alcohol, and in the other appendages grasp was pills. if she was going after her bike this probably wasn't the best idea for her be able to ride it, hargrove was almost thankful for tommy flattening out her tires.

with dangerous Tommy in mind, he suddenly turned on the cars lights and for a moment her face was light up. It was for a moment but billy almost swore that there had been bruises but then her hand went before her face and the girl squinted hatefully distorting her features.

Hargrove came out and looked at her with slight worry as she kept her eyes down cast and with hoody up, looking ashamed to be caught drinking. "Hey billy." Her voice was soft, gentle nervous. "Hey Queenie, you feeling okay?" Her head went up and bounced down with slow movements before she looked towards the school and at the empty road. 

Maddy was kind of scared to be alone with him, her memory of halloween night wasn't any better then what it had been when she had woken up on friday, not that she had even attempted to think of it but still, Maddy truly had no clue what the two of them had done. "I'm fine...what you doing out so late?" He shrugged and tried to catch another look at her face though it was to no avail.

"...just driving around...you want to join me...i could take you to the school if you want." Her shoulders slump uncaringly and though she still avoided his gaze, Maddy made her way into the car. "thanks billy..Sorry for ditching out on friday, did i miss anything?" 

Billy was happy that she hadn't seemed to nervous to be with him, but she was worried at the moment that she was avoiding talk about the party. "Well, we're lab partners...steve and nancy broke up...but besides that nothing." She nodded her head tiredly, though even pilled popped her felt bad for steven.

"Harrington handling that alright?" 

"Yeah, he's a tough kid he'll be fine." Littleton nodded smiled slightly at that compliment. "I'm glad, don't worry about science, i won't let you fail." Hargrove chuckled at that and pulled up to the school. She was alright, bantering and promising to help him out, she seemed alright, if not a bit distant, not that he could or would think of blaming her.

Maddy hazily made it to her school yard as Billy sat in the car, to caught up in his thought to think to remind her that the tired were slashed. Mads was swaying as she marched up to her bike and sat on it.She was prepared to start it when she noticed carefully that both wheels were slashed.The rubber splayed outward vertically, so far down that a patch would not be able to fix it. Sighed as she stood wasted Maddy stood and pulled up her bikes seat and took out her tools.

Despite her best efforts in her state of mind, Donna was unable to do it. She laughed at first giggling at incapable she was, then the girl cried at the fact that those were the original tires that Benny had put on the bike when he gave it to her.

It was a piece of the gift he had given her that she could never get back. Another precious thing taken away from Maddy. But did it even matter anymore?

Her eyes streamed out tears as she kept wiping them away almost stopping all together when the sound of gravel being crunched met her ears.

She saw boots, jeans and a familiar denim jacket. Hargrove. Great. "Hey there Billy boy." Littleton whispered forcing a smile as her looked over her bike in some mourning, with a car like his, she guessed that he appreciated all of the modes of transportation.

"You okay Queenie?" Keeping her head down the buzzed girl nodded and let out a laugh. "Okay?..yeah I'm super.just a bit of trouble with my bike needed to get somewhere tonight..how are you doing?"

Maddy let her gaze meet his for a bit before looking over at the bike with her hair down and hoody up Littleton knew she'd be able to keep her bruises hidden at least for a little bit.

"I'm doing alright...hey Maddy I'll give you a ride there okay, and then I'll give you some help with this okay?" Her brows furrowed and Though she was curious to why she didn't ask.

"Yeah only if you're cool with me buying you a pack of smokes."his hand blocked part of her vision as he spoke. "Deal." And with her hand meeting his, billy pulled her up. Maddy winced at the strain and forced herself to laugh it off.

Billy gave her hand a squeeze and nervously watched her as she settled herself on her feet and let out a soft groan. "where to Maddy?" Her voice sounded sincere on his lips for a moment and letting out air she said "The gas station out pass Rangon." His brow shot up in some shock, that place was quite a bit aways. 

"Why?" Maddy knew it was because that was the only place that carried her color of concealer, and they never knew her there. It selling tires was just a plus.

"It sells tires and is open right now...I can walk if you want I've done it before." She had stopped at his door, hand twitching slightly as though she was worried he'd say no. Hating to see her look this human Billy shook his head letting out a breath. 

He had wanted to sleep a bit more tonight but it was probably better this way they needed to talk still. "Nope I offered, i am not going to go back now queenie," Absentmindedly the girl lit a cigarette and plopped down his passenger seat 

"and anyhow it'd give us time to talk." Hargrove watched her exhale, a cloud of smoke leaving her curtained face and her head slightly incline his way. As almost always she said nothing for a number of moments, and he would have spoke if he could have seen the brow raised gaze she was giving him. 

Alas, as mentioned before her battered face had been hidden, so Maddy had to reply verbally.

"Talk about...what?" Her silver eyes drifted to his side of the car while she avoided completely turning to him. It just in case he would notice her blackened eyes and bruised neck. "Well, we're lab partners now." She made a hum of amused approval, shoulders loosening once more at the lightness of conversation he was taking up with such seriousness. 

"That sounds like it'll be a hell of a lot of fun...don't worry i won't let you fail that class." Littleton said turning back to the window and inhaled deeply, they sat in what she felt was comfortable silence. 

This car felt safe, right now it was the most comfortable thing she had been in, and it smelled like Hargrove which was, not disturbing. Billy however, was seemingly in the most uncomfortable tense air he had ever been in. He needed to ask her, talk to her, do anything right now, because those three days of waiting had nearly driven him crazy with worry. 

The car slowed and suddenly stopped, her brow raised and littleton tensed again a moment gripping her buckled seat belt ready to bolt from the unexpected stop. It wasn't that she didn't like him, but with everything she had endured this weekend..Maddy couldn't help but be a bit controlled by her fear. 

Hargrove was staring ahead as he attempted to light a cigarette and worriedly furrowed his tanned brow, he was beyond lost on how to go about this. "Thanks for that... " He chuckled softly though she could tell it was forced as Billy was mainly focused on side eyeing the girl through her curtain of hair he ran his fingers through his own.

She took his shaky hands and the unlit smoke which laid in between his fingers. He seemed touched by the softness she was showing him and oh so carefully seemed to be trying to find out a way to dance around this terrible subject. 

Quick like a bandaid, that would be the best way to go about it, maybe Maddy would appreciate the honesty, Hargrove told himself as he let the words tumble out."Mad's, we need to talk about what happened..during..at the party." Maddy thought on that and said nothing as she had not remembered, in the slightest, what had happened? 

Handing him back the lit item, her heart began to rapidly beat in some panic from the blank spots in her memory of that night, had they had sex? Gosh, she didn't think that was what happened, but oh god if she was wrong? Donna's stomach churned at the idea that the only time she wasn't..wasn't raped, the girl hadn't remembered it.

Hell that was probably what had happened- because that was just her fucking luck. People at school would have already started fucking talking about it too she'd bet. 

Billy took it upon himself to speak, seeing her fear easily and misinterpreting it as her having remembered the entirety of the night with perfect clarity. At least he didn't have to explain to her who had caused and what trauma she had gone through that night. Hargrove, at the moment, was thankful for that burden of this talk being lifted from his shoulders

"I know, it's weird to talk about...it's going to be difficult to talk about-especially with me, and i understand if you don't want to, but i just have to know if you're okay." Her mouth opened and brows furrowed, but Hargrove continued after a long inhale. 

"...no one knows by the way, except Harrington, but that was impossible to prevent, i promise you no one else knows." Maddy's mind whirled with the possibility of how them having sex would make it impossible for harrington not to know. 

Did he just have to fucking show off and treat Harrington to a bit of Littleton slut shaming? What the fuck had happened? Was that why Jonathan hadn't even bothered to check in on her this weekend? Did he hat her to.

"Billy...did..did we.." The girl couldn't say it, her mouth wouldn't allow her and either way her mind was racing with other thoughts to quickly to allow her mind to finish the sentence. Was that why he was helping her out? Because he thought she was going to put out again? oh god, was he using this as blackmail?

It was just like tommy had said, if he had already been talking to others about it, why wouldn't he actually do it with her? and why wouldn't he blackmail her with it? Donna's chest started constricting and releasing rapidly, her vision started to darkened, her hand went to the buckle and immediately she raced out of the car. 

Air, she needed air, space and clarity right now everything was getting to close to her. 

Fuck that. let people fucking know, who fucking cares anymore? Maybe jonathan would understand that she was far to drunk to even remember but fuck the rest of them. Maddy would not have another person forcing themselves upon her, blackmailing her and crushing her trust. Once was more than enough for her. 

It almost physically made her ill that it was Billy pulling this kind of shit. No wonder he was so excited for them being science partners. No wonder he had been so nice to her

Tears met her eyes and the limping girl let out a small sob covering her mouth, not even one good thing right? Mad couldn't even have that. Couldn't even have an inkling of imagining someone liking her company just for her company. Not even Jonathan anymore..he was drifting from her and now this...this hurt more then it should of.

"Littleton, Queenie, what the hell? Where are you going?" He was chasing after her and Donna tried to run as fast as she could, though being unwounded and a athlete, Hargrove quickly caught up to her and spun her about with a tight grip. 

After the horror show that had been this weekend, Maddy didn't, couldn't control her disarayed emotions scattered about her mind. and she didn't care if he could see her bruises as she glared up at him. 

"Fuck off Billy...tell them alright?! i don't fucking care anymore, one rumor or a hundred, fucking go it! I don't care!" The man had gripped her forearms and was holding the sobbing thrashing girl as he looked at her in confusion, it shifted into almost horror at some thread of realization, and sorrow. 

She thought he was blackmailing her, telling everyone that Madkiller had finally got her due in the form of two jocks and a piece of shit kid tagging along for the ride.

"No, Queenie... Maddy, please stop, i'm not telling anyone...i haven't and i won't...I wouldn't do that." The girl's thrashing slowly stopped and she sniffled pathetically attempting to control herself, though her breathing was rapid and Billy was attempting to sooth her by curling his fingers through her tangled hair. Even with the snagging knots he came across this fekt nice. 

"really...i thought the king of Hawkins would have jumped on the chance to brag.." He smiled at that, and suddenly hugged the teen girl to him as he shook his head. His other hand curled about the woman's waist while continuing to comb through the mane hair. He was so angry with the world, he always was but now...her, he couldn't find a moment thinking about what happened to her to find that calm in her.

Mark and tommy hadn't gotten justice. Not yet. seeing how she had reacted he thought that they deserved a hell of a lot more

"Well, though that fight was amazing, i thought the queen would disapprove of me boasting. " With brows furrowing she tore away from his comforting grip and with fear turning to confusion, Mad went back to hiding the majority of her face with her tangle of bangs.

"what fight?...Billy what happened?" Hargrove's jaw dropped his fist shook, and pitying eyes fixed on her covered face. They were the same pitying eyes which Benny, Joyce, sam and Hopper always gave her. 

She hated that he could look at her like that, what had happened for him to give her that look?pity billy was hardly capable of that yet here he was, giving it to her in full force. 

"let's go sit in the car okay...What did you think happened Mady" with mass confusion she followed his instructions, her previous worry replaced with another. What could have happened? As they sat together, Mad saw him griping the wheel repeatedly with nervousness. 

Did he fight Jonathan, or Steven? Steven would have made more sense, but why? gosh...she was never going to touch alcohol again she shouldn't have even in the first place. This was to much work for her to be going through right now just for her to lower her inhibitions for a bit. 

"So...what happened." Donna asked rubbing her temples softly as she tried to remember some of the pieces of that night.

"what do you remember?" Hargrove shot back. She told him briefly the small bit that she remembered and Hargrove sighed. "Um, not exactly anything...i was talking to Paul..i had just danced with you Harrington had went in dad mode and i wanted whiskey...so i drank alot...and i woke up next to you..so I thought we had..." 

She let out a breath of a laugh and shook her head hoping he'd dismiss it. For the moment Hargrove was to worried about telling her what had happened to think about them being entangled in each other's limbs. 

"But we didn't so...what did happen." 

"Well paul...he, Mark had Paul...Tommy had- Gosh, can i just drive you over to Harringtons...i can't be the best person to tell you about this." Maddy closed her eyes rested her head on the back of the seat shaking her head. "Just tell me. Please." This waiting and wondering was to much for her at the moment to deal with, at this point it'd just be better to know. 

like a bandaid So he did, quick and straightforward the man told her what he knew, what he had did and the aftermath. She didn't say anything, hadn't moved, looked at him or even cried. All Maddy did was keep closed her eyes, as flashes of a ginger, of eyes looking down at her, an blurred apology, and being laid out in a car came to her. 

Despite her unchanging outward appearance, it did hurt, it hurt that there were more monsters in this town, that it had happened again, that all the monsters in hawkins seemed attached to her. It just hurt right now. a few deep breaths in and maddy would push this too behind her door, but she had to know. 

"What happened Billy?" Littleton asked hoarsely finally opening her eyes and looking towards him, she didn't think that she could bare it if..if it had happened again. Thinking that her father was not the only man to have touched her like that, that in her short time on this earth that only that forceful taking was the only thing she deserved to have experienced 

"Paul came back to find me, i kicked Mark, and a kids ass, Tommy was there with you...in the car-""-Billy, just tell me. Did he rape me?" Her tears were beginning to surface and as she saw Billy shaking his head Maddy let out a gasp of air, she laughed and shook her own head in relief. 

Every fucked up thing in the universe was the same, it was alright, she was alright. Thanks to Billy of all people. That last part was almost unbelievable. Tommy being that kind of man, wasn't surprising..and she'd get him back for it. 

"That..that explain's my fucking tires." She said in a smile, taking the smoke from a very shocked Billy Hargrove, who simply stared at littleton with agaped mouth. He was in shock at her reaction, but for Littleton it was a small amount of weight taken off of her chest, it was just enough to get the girl to breathe normally. 

"Queenie...they, he got close..you were all bruised up around your thighs, and your stockings were torn." He sounded so concerned and stopping mid inhale seemingly disappointed for her lack of reaction, Maddy wondered why. Nothing serious had happened. She, from that event was left unscarred. 

Him seeing the bruises though, was worrying, in the darkness a shadow moved over her face, with him noticing those bruises, maybe he'd dwell on how they healed and on how the hand size didn't match up. 

With her silence as a response Hargrove continued, his voice was the only thing that broke her out of that small worrisome pocket of thoughts "and then you didn't show up for school the next day...i didn't see you at either job i was worried..." That was sweet of him, the girl mused over gently, someone thinking of her. 

She could feel him staring at her and she ignored it for a moment to long before he caught her attention by slamming his fist on to the steering wheel and causing her to jump.

"why aren't you acting like this isn't a big deal." her heart leaped a bit before calming, he sounded angry. What did he have to be mad about? A cloud of smoke left her, Littleton dropped the rest of the cig out the window before wiping away the small amount of tears which had escaped her. 

Chewing on her tongue a bit, the girl thought was this a big deal, for those normal teenage girls? For the ones who had free reign of their house, never had to outrun or fight off their parent, never had to wake up and discovers her mother's body holding them while her own soul had left them hours before, was this something considered traumatic? 

"It's not a big deal, if something had happened...if something had happened Billy then that would have been different... but it didn't. i am fine. Thank you for worrying though. I'm only okay with what didn't happen, because you got there in time."

Billy p.o.v 

He watched her say this, say the words that thought were true, did bother him, and it wasn't due to the words themselves, but the way she said them. Robotically, like she was saying to him what he wanted to hear, if her voice had been a bit sweeter, it would have sounded like she had when Maddy had lied to that cop. 

He tried to calm down looking over her and nodding his head. "Alright..as long as you're alright Maddy..it doesn't matter how big of a thing it is i guess.." He remembered her thrashing in his arm and the tinge of purple that Billy had thought he had saw. Maybe this wasn't exactly something big for her. 

But facing his own issues similar to what she may have been facing, he knew directly bringing them up probably wouldn't end well. But then again, he didn't know shit about what could have been happening, so avoiding it either way was for the best. 

"So...do you want to report them...or-""No..i'll get back on them on my own terms...maybe i'll even let you help." He nodded his head starting up the care before another thought hit him and he looked towards her slapping the wheel happily. "Wait...you thought we slept together?!" Hargrove asked with a laugh, after that fact settled in, he couldn't help coyly smirking and licking his lower lip as his brows bounced in suggesting waves.

Though he was intrigued now by that idea, that picture of her bruised thighs was burned into his head. Instead of just checking her out, his eyes were racking over her for any other signs of bruising, in case that hunch was right. 

She had glanced at him and his smile nearly fell at the tint of bruise showing itself for a second time. the ones on her thighs had some yellow tinge to them, they had been healing...maybe they hadn't came from Tommy. 

Instead of letting those thoughts flood him he shrugged his shoulders and began to drive. The boy doubted she'd be willing to tell him if she had or had not been abused, with the way she acted with this, he couldn't imagine how she'd act with something even bigger.

"Could do worse queenie...I'll pop you better than anyone else in this town...i can promise you that." There was an offended sound that came from her huff, which caused Billy to smile because it was a noise she made when they were bantering this meant Maddy was okay. 

"You're assuming i'm a virgin...that's kind of rude." He smirked raising a brow though the worry was dancing about her head still, the question of who could have been the lucky fellow ..though as his next question left his lips, he assumed that it was nobody

"you saying you're not?" Littleton swallowed and shrugged, he would of swore she blushed, even though he had not an inkling of proof. "it's not your business billy." 

"Bet you are queeny...never had a guy slip his hand down your pants...or put his face down between your legs before plowing home?" Her face shot his way and there was an expression of horror was written on it, as he was driving, he only got a sight of her pale skin reddened in embarrassment and eyes widened in fear. 

Virgin. probably the biggest one in all of hopkins. "Not a lot's my business Queenie, but when it comes to you, you bet your ass i'm going to make it mine." And Hargrove meant that in the most sincere way a douche canoe like himself could have 

 

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End file.
